[THE  CONQ 

OF  PE 


TI.M..GILBER3" 


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THE  CONQUERORS 
OF  PERU 


Fr. 


He  led  his  men  forward 


THE  CONQUERORS 
OF  PERU 

RETOLD    FROM 
PRESCOTT'S    "CONQUEST    OF    PERU" 

BY 

HENRY  GILBERT 


WITH    SIXTEEN    FULL-PAGE    ILLUSTRATIONS    BY 

THOMAS    MAYBANK 


NEW  YORK 

THOMAS   Y.   CROWELL  COMPANY 

PUBLISHERS 


THE  RIVERSIDE  PRESS  LIMITED,  EDINBUKCH 


Contents 


Introduction      ..... 

CHAPTER 

I.  Rumours  of  the  Land  of  Gold 
II.  At  "  Famine  Port  "   . 

III.  The  Faithful  Thirteen 

IV.  Marooned  .... 
V.  At  the  Door  of  the  Land  of  Gold 

VI.  A  Desperate  Venture 
VII.  The  Cowards  are  Weeded  Out 
VIII.  A  Meeting  with  the  Inca 
IX.  A  Deed  of  Carnage     . 
X.  The  Inca's  Ransom 
XI.  A  Deed  of  Dishonour 
XII.  The  Death  of  the  Inca 

XIII.  In  the  City  of  Gold   . 

XIV.  The  Rebellion  of  the  Indians 

XV.  The  Quarrel  of  Almagro  and  Pizarro 
XVI.  The  Battle  at  the  Salt  Pahs 
XVII.  The  Vengeance  of  the  Men  of  Chili 
XVIII.  The  Last  of  the  Men  of  Chili 


13 
21 

32 

49 
67 
81 

97 
1 10 

128 

146 

167 

181 

196 

211 

227 

244 

257 
271 


Illustrations 


He  led  his  men  forward  .  .  .       Frontispiece 

PAGB 

Peals  of  thunder  made  the  vessel  tremble  .        22 

Eyes  flashed;  hands  leapt  to  sword-hilts  .  .        42 

He   .    .    .    TRACED    A    LINE    ON   THE   SAND    .  .  .46 

Depression  and  despair  settled  upon  Pizarro         .         68 

Out   of   the  wood  .  .  .   poured  an  excited  crowd 

of  warriors.  .  .  .  .  .78 

"Lead  us  forward!    Advance!    Advance!".  .       100 

The  horseman  would  have  to  .  .  .  lead  his  horse       iio 

Atahualpa  maintained  the   same   marble  indiffer- 
ence .  .  .  .  .  .  .124 

The  litter  .  .  .  swayed  to  and  fro  .  .  .       142 

The  body  of   Perez   hung   from   the   branch   of  a 

tall  tree     .  .  .  .  .  .170 

The  body  was  allowed  to  remain  tied  to  the  stake       192 

The    Spaniards    began    to    seize    what    could    be 

carried  away  .....       206 

Whole  quarters  of  the  city  were  soon  in  flames  224 

"Your  words  have  come  true"  .  .  .  246 

A  point  of  steel  was  in  his  throat  .  .  .  268 

7 


Introduction 

WILLIAM  HICKLING  PRESCOTT,  the  writer 
of  The  Conquest  of  Peru,  of  which  the  present 
volume  is  a  paraphrase,  was  an  American 
author  who  Hved  in  the  first  half  of  the  nineteenth  century. 
He  was  chiefly  interested  in  Spanish  history,  and  besides 
the  work  above  mentioned,  he  wrote  The  Conquest  of 
Mexico,  The  History  of  the  Reign  of  Ferdinand  and 
Isabella,  and  an  unfinished  work  on  Philip  the  Second. 

The  story  of  the  conquest  of  Peru  by  the  Spaniards  is 
one  of  the  most  romantic  in  human  history.  It  is  only 
rivalled  by  that  of  the  conquest  of  Mexico,  an  event  which, 
earlier  in  time  and  hardly  less  enthralling  in  interest, 
formed  the  example  followed  in  some  measure  by  the 
conqueror  of  Peru. 

The  tale  indeed  is  one  almost  as  incredible  as  any 
mediaeval  legend  of  Christian  knight -errant  overthrowing 
hordes  of  Paynims  single-handed.  It  tells  of  a  Spanish 
soldier  who,  against  the  jealousies  of  higher  authorities, 
and  in  spite  of  repulses  and  disasters,  of  famine,  tempests 
and  mutinies,  still  pushed  on  with  a  handful  of  men  and 
conquered  a  country,  the  reigning  king  of  which  possessed 
the  unquestioning  reverence  and  obedience  of  a  vast 
population,  from  which  he  could  draw  an  army  of  many 
thousands  of  men. 


Introduction 

The  civilization  which  the  Spaniards  destroyed  in  their 
conquest  of  the  Peruvians  was  a  strangely  fascinating  one. 
It  was  a  form  of  despotic  socialism.  At  the  head  of  the 
State  was  the  king  or  Inca,  '*  the  descendant  of  the  Sun," 
regarded  as  divine  and  worshipped  by  his  subjects.  His 
rule  no  one  could  question,  but  it  was  not  tyrannical. 
On  the  contrary,  it  was  mild,  and  the  country,  when  the 
Spaniard  entered  it,  was  prosperous.  Personal  freedom, 
however,  was  unknown.  Every  one  who  was  able-bodied 
was  obliged  to  work ;  each  man,  woman  and  child  was 
numbered,  and  none  could  remove  from  the  place  where  he 
was  bom,  or  work  at  any  other  task  than  that  imposed  by 
authority.  Every  hundred  families  formed  a  unit,  with 
the  village  officer  or  headman  as  the  chief  over  them,  who 
was  responsible  for  their  labour  on  the  crops  and  for  the 
payment  of  their  taxes.  Ten  such  units  formed  a  clan, 
each  contro'led  by  an  official  ;  and  over  every  four  clans 
was  an  imperial  overseer  who  controlled  the  acts  of  the 
clan  officials.  The  people,  male  and  female,  were  divided 
into  ten  classes  ;  children  up  to  eight  years  were  exempt 
from  work,  and  from  eight  to  sixteen  were  required  to  do 
light  employment.  Between  the  ages  of  fifty  and  sixty 
a  man  was  classed  as  "half  old,"  and  was  required  to  do 
easy  tasks  only  ;   at  sixty  he  ceased  from  labour. 

Under  these  conditions  no  one  could  be  rich,  but  none 
could  be  poor.  Everyone  lived  in  frugal  comfort ;  and 
those  that  were  sick  or  crippled  were  supported  by  the 
State.  The  spirit  of  the  people,  under  generations  of  this 
paternal  rule,  had  become  gentle  and  submissive ;  great 
crimes  were  almost  unknown,  and  even  petty  thefts  were 
rare.  "  So  little  desire  have  these  people,  both  men  and 
women,  to  commit  offences,"  wrote  Leguisamo,  the  last 
of  the  rough  soldiers  of  the  Conquest,  in  the  testament 

10 


Introduction 

which  he  drew  up  to  ease  his  conscience,  "  that  the  Indian 
who  had  a  hundred  thousand  pesos  of  gold  and  silver  in 
his  house  left  his  door  open,  placing  only  a  light  rod  or  a 
broom  across  the  threshold,  as  a  sign  that  the  owner  was 
not  at  home,  and  seeing  that  sign,  no  one  would  enter." 

Mild  and  submissive  as  these  Peruvitins  were,  they  had 
nevertheless  attained  a  perfection  in  many  arts  little  if  at 
all  inferior  to  that  of  the  European  who  brought  ruin  into 
the  fair  fabric  of  their  civilization.  Their  great  roads, 
stretching  from  end  to  end  and  from  side  to  side  of  the 
kingdom,  may  yet  be  seen,  not  indeed  with  the  clear-cut 
edges  and  even  surface  as  the  Spaniard  found  them,  but 
broken  now  and  often  overgrown  with  vegetation.  Besides 
these  there  are  remains  of  temples,  palaces  and  fortresses, 
mountain-sides  terraced  into  fields,  aqueducts,  irrigating 
canals  and  rest-houses,  the  ruins  of  all  of  which  point  with 
reproach  to  the  neglect  into  which  the  conquerors  have 
allowed  them  to  fall. 

The  story  of  Pizarro's  romantic  achievement  will  always 
be  one  of  peculiar  fascination  for  readers  both  young  and 
old.  Among  the  company  of  heroic  explorers  which  stride 
across  the  pages  of  the  early  history  of  the  Americas — 
Columbus,  de  Balboa,  de  Soto,  La  Salle,  Cortes — the  figure 
of  Francisco  Pizarro  will  take  high  rank.  He  was  a  born 
leader  in  a  generation  of  men  made  for  desperate  enter- 
prises. He  would  laugh  with  his  soldiers  in  their  good 
humours,  cajole  them  in  their  rebellious  moods,  and  in 
turn,  as  the  occasion  required,  be  their  comrade,  their 
protector  or  their  stem  commander.  Brave  and  deter- 
mined, of  inflexible  constancy  of  mind  and  full  of  resource, 
he  allowed  nothing  to  bend  him  from  his  purpose.  No 
scruples  stood  in  his  way;  the  capture  of  Atahualpa  and 
the  terrible  carnage  which  accompanied  it,  the  treacherous 


Introduction 

execution  of  the  Inea  when  his  further  captivity  became 
irksome,  and  the  perfidious  treatment  of  Aknagro  showed 
the  lengths  to  which  he  could  ijo. 

Other  defects  of  his  chn meter  were  shown  when,  witli 
a  rich  and  fertile  province  in  his  charge,  he  delivered  a  race 
into  tyrannical  slavery,  gave  up  towns  to  pillage,  destroyed 
immense  flocks,  squandered  the  stores  accumulated  in  the 
granaries  of  the  Inca,  and  allowed  the  system  of  irrigation 
founded  by  the  Peruvians,  together  with  fine  roads  and 
bridges,  to  fall  into  ruin  and  neglect. 

It  must  be  borne  in  mind,  however,  that  Pizarro  had 
been  reared  in  a  hard  school.  An  outcast  in  his  childhood, 
he  had  known  only  the  rough  schooling  and  brutal  manners 
of  a  camp,  among  a  soldiery  who  knew  no  law  but  the 
sword,  and  whose  minds  had  no  respect  for  the  civiliza- 
tion which  they  ruined  nor  sense  of  pity  for  the  wretched 
Indians  they  conquered  and  oppressed. 

The  object  in  retelling  Prescott's  history  has  been  to 
make  it  acceptable  \o  young  people  who  may  be  dis- 
couraged by  the  solid  pages  of  the  original  work.  For 
this  purpose,  therefore,  the  historical  style  has  been 
avoided  ;  a  good  deal  of  dialogue  has  been  employed,  and, 
as  far  as  practicable,  an  endeavour  has  been  made  to  create 
an  atmosphere  of  vivid  reality  and  moving  adventure.  In 
short,  the  aim  has  been  to  make  young  readers  believe 
that  they  are  not  reading  history  so  much  as  "  a  story." 

Henry  Gilbert 


12 


The 

Conquerors  of  Peru 

CHAPTER  I 

Rumours  of  the  Land  of  Gold 

IT  was  in  the  year  1522  when,  one  day  in  late  autumn, 
four  men  stood  talking  together  on  the  little  wooden 
wharf  at  Panama,  a  young  city  then,  but  three 
years  old. 

Behind  them  was  a  broad  open  space  or  plaza,  and 
beyond  that  the  stone-built  house  of  the  governor,  with 
the  flag  of  Spain  on  the  top,  the  church,  also  of  stone,  and 
beside  this  a  fort.  Then  there  were  houses  of  adobe  or 
sun-baked  mud,  rising  here  and  there  among  the  rank 
growth  of  the  forest  which  pressed  right  up  to  the  doors. 

Out  at  sea,  riding  at  anchor  in  the  roadstead,  a  little 
distance  from  where  the  men  stood,  were  three  caravels, 
with  high  poops  and  carved  prows,  rising  and  falling  to 
the  waves. 

One  of  the  men  seemed  to  hold  the  attention  of  the 
other  three.  He  was  more  richly  dressed,  and  his  air  of 
high  breeding  distinguished  him  from  at  least  two  of 
them.  He  was  Don  Pascual  de  Andagoya,  who  but  a 
week  before  had  returned  from  a  voyage,  which  he  had 
hardly  begun,  into  the  unknown  sea  which  stretched  for 
infinite  leagues  to  the  south.    He  said  he  had  returned 

13 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

because  he  had  been  all  but  drowned  in  the  upsetting  of 
a  boat,  and  that  the  accident  had  injured  his  health. 

He  was  not  so  hardy  a  soldier  as  others  of  the  little  com- 
munity which  now  formed  the  outpost  of  Panama.  Many 
smiled  behind  his  back  and  said  that  Don  Pascual  was 
more  fitted  for  the  luxury  of  a  Court  than  for  fierce 
battling  with  cannibal  Caribs  and  semi -starvation  in  the 
black  swamps. 

"  What  learnt  you  over  there,  sefior  ?  "  asked  one  of  the 
men,  who  was  tall  and  spare  and  in  the  dress  of  a  priest. 
He  was  Don  Luque,  the  vicar  or  head  priest  of  the  church 
at  Panama.  "  Is  there  in  truth  a  rich  kingdom  beyond 
the  terrible  mountains  ?  " 

"  Ay,"  replied  Don  Pascual,  "  there  are  kingdoms  and 
riches  in  plenty  if  one  could  but  win  through  the  tem- 
pestuous seas,  penetrate  the  horrible  swamps,  and  scale 
the  icy  mountains,  covered  with  dense  forests  and  swarm- 
ing with  fierce  beasts." 

"The  men  who  told  you  these  things,  noble  senor," 
went  on  the  priest,  "  were  they  worthy  of  credence  ?  " 

"  Not  from  one  man  alone  did  I  learn  them,"  replied 
Don  Pascual,  "  but  from  many.  Some  were  chiefs  and 
head  men,  and  others  were  traders  who,  with  their  packs 
of  merchandise,  travel  far  through  the  dense  jungles  and 
forests  and  reach  many  peoples  and  distant  kingdoms." 

"  And  what  told  they  of  this  wondrous  land  beyond  the 
mountains  ?    How  many  days'  journey  is  its  capital  ?  " 

"  Many  weeks'  journey,  they  said,"  replied  Don  Pascual. 
"  And  they  aflftrm  that  the  chief  king  of  that  land  is  not 
to  be  equalled  by  any  king  on  the  earth  for  his  wealth 
and  his  majesty.  He  has  a  thousand  slaves,  and  his 
treasure  no  man  may  estimate.  The  buildings  of  his 
chief  city  are  wondrous  fair  and  majestic,  the  rivers  run 

14 


Rumours  of  the  Land  of  Gold 

with  gold  throughout  the  land,  and  the  common  people 
wear  gold  as  we  wear  iron  or  bronze.'* 

The  eyes  of  his  three  listeners  gleamed.  But  whereas 
the  priest  lowered  his  looks,  as  if  he  did  not  care  that 
others  should  see  the  light  of  greed  in  his  eyes,  the  others 
came  still  nearer  to  the  speaker,  and  one  of  them,  a  tall 
man,  with  pale,  stern  face  and  hard  eyes,  said,  in  a  low 
voice  : 

*'  Did  they  tell  aught  of  the  way  one  should  go  to  reach 
this  chief  city  ?  To  the  south-east,  beyond  the  Gulf  of 
St  Michael,  or  to  the  west  ?  " 

"  I  was  told  that  the  city  of  that  king  lies  far  up  above 
the  clouds  at  the  summit  of  a  high  mountain,  and  it  is 
many  leagues  from  the  sea.  He  who  would  reach  it  must 
risk  death  from  many  causes — from  the  poison  of  dragons 
and  serpents,  the  ambush  of  savages,  the  claws  of  fierce 
beasts,  the  trembling  and  cracking  of  the  earth,  and  the 
deadly  cold  upon  the  mountains,  where  snow  for  ever 
lies." 

"  They  said  there  were  dragons  in  the  swamps  of 
Dobayba,"  said  the  other,  who  had  not  yet  spoken,  "  but 
I  never  saw  aught  but  ugly,  lurking  savages  and  foul 
water  and  moving  banks  of  mud." 

He  laughed  with  a  bluff,  reckless  air.  He  was  short, 
with  a  red  face,  and  his  look  of  command  was  mingled 
with  a  bearing  of  good -nature  and  rough  humour.  He 
was  Don  Diego  de  Almagro,  famed  for  his  bravery  in 
many  an  expedition  through  the  swamps  and  forests  of 
Tierra  Ferme,  as  Central  America  was  then  called. 

"  Ay,  there  are  dragons  there,"  said  Don  Pascual. 
They  told  me  that  a  dragon  with  scales  of  gold  guards 
a  secret  place  in  the  mountains  whence  the  king  of  the 
land  procures  his  purest  gold.    The  precious  metal  lies 

15 


(( 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

in  the  rock  bare  to  the  sun,  and  one  has  but  to  cut  it  out 
with  a  hatchet." 

"  Truly,"  laughed  Almagro,  "  a  land  made  for  brave 
Spanish  cavaliers  to  conquer,  as  Cortes  has  conquered 
Mexico  and  its  barbarous  king,  and  brought  them  and 
their  gold  to  our  good  Emperor  Charles." 

"  Further,"  went  on  Don  Pascual,  "  they  told  me  that 
the  walls  of  their  temples  were  made  of  solid  gold,  and 
that  their  gods  and  goddesses  are  figured  in  pure  gold  and 
sit  in  rows  along  the  walls,  and  before  each  is  a  shrine  of 
pure  silver.  The  riches  of  that  kingdom  no  man  may 
estimate.  Some  told  me  of  men  who,  whether  for  pride 
or  from  the  idolatrous  nature  of  their  religion,  roll  them- 
selves in  oil  and  afterwards  in  heaps  of  gold  dust,  and  then 
receive  as  gods  the  worship  of  the  ignorant  people.  Be- 
sides, there  are  great  palaces,  rich  in  every  kind  of  luxury, 
the  like  of  which  no  one  has  seen  elsewhere,  and  there  are 
vast  herds  and  great  storehouses  which  are  bursting  with 
long-stored  wealth." 

"  By  Our  Lady,"  cried  Don  Diego,  "  it  makes  a  poor 
soldier's  mouth  water  to  hear  such  tales.  Here  are  we, 
frayed  and  ragged  and  hopeless  after  thirty  years  of 
battle  and  toil,  with  but  a  few  swampy  acres  and  a  dozen 
or  two  of  lazy  Indians  as  all  the  reward  for  the  hard 
knocks  and  the  wounds  which  we  have  suffered  for  Spain. 
By  my  faith,  I  would  risk  something  to  gain  lordship  over 
a  land  only  half  so  rich  as  that  you  speak  of." 

The  stern,  dark  soldier  said  nothing  for  a  while,  but  one 
could  see  by  the  fire  in  his  eyes  how  the  tale  of  wealth 
had  stirred  him.  Then  he  spoke,  but  it  was  in  restrained 
tones. 

"  You  say  truth,  Almagro,"  he  said.  "  You  and  I  have 
fought  side  by  side  for  years,  and  found  how  great  a 

i6 


Rumours  of  the  Land  of  Gold 

lottery  is  this  New  World  that  we  have  conquered  for  our 
emperor,  whom  God  exalt.  The  great  prizes  are  indeed 
so  few  that  it  is  heavy  odds  against  us  gaining  any, 
hazarding,  as  we  do,  our  health,  our  fortune  and  our 
Hves." 

"  Give  me  your  hand,  Pizarro,"  said  Almagro,  and  he 
held  out  a  great  brown  hand  toward  his  friend.  "  What 
do  you  say  ?  Shall  we  not  swear  to  go  and  seek  this 
Land  of  Gold  of  which  Andagoya  brings  such  news  ?  " 

Pizarro  grasped  the  hand  of  his  friend,  and  his  pale 
face  flushed  as  he  spoke. 

"  I  doubt  we  are  fools,"  he  said,  "  for  our  fortunes 
are  but  meagre.  Yet  if  the  governor  will  aid  us  with 
ships,  and  volunteers  will  come  with  us  in  sufficient  force, 
I  will  cast  in  my  lot — life  and  fortune  and  all — in  this 
one  throw  of  the  dice." 

The  men  grasped  hands  fervently. 

"  Doubtless,  gentlemen,"  said  the  gallant  Andagoya, 
with  a  sneer,  "  you  have  a  wish  to  emulate  Hernando 
Cortes,  and  to  seize  as  mighty  a  kingdom  and  riot  in  its 
treasures." 

"  Ay,  why  not  ?  "  demanded  Almagro,  his  face  flushing 
at  the  sneer.  "  If  courage  is  wanted — courage  that  will 
not  falter  at  a  wetting — think  you  we  lack  it  ?  " 

"  Courage  would,  of  course,  be  needed,"  said  the  priest, 
laying  a  restraining  hand  on  Almagro's  arm,  "  and  your 
fame  as  a  soldier  would  make  you  a  powerful  helper  in 
any  further  expedition  to  the  south,  Don  Diego  ;  but — 
tell  me,  Don  Pascual,"  he  went  on,  turning  to  the  other, 
"  do  you  propose  to  make  another  journey  southward  ?  " 

"  Nay,  I  think  not,"  was  the  reply.  "  If  any  of  you 
gentlemen  have  it  in  your  minds  to  risk  all  your  resources 
in  such  an  attempt  " — he  smiled  as  he  glanced  for  an 

B  17 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

instant  at  the  frayed  garments  of  the  two  soldiers — "  the 
way  is  open  for  you,  so  far  as  I  am  concerned." 

Saying  which,  Don  Pascual  bowed  and  walked  from 
them  across  the  plaza  toward  the  stone  house  of  the 
governor,  over  whose  flat  roof  waved  the  flag  of  Castile. 

Left  alone,  the  three  men  stood  for  some  time  in  silence. 
Don  Diego,  quick  and  impatient  of  mood,  looked  from  one 
to  the  other  of  his  companions,  as  if  longing  to  hear  them 
speak.  At  length  the  priest  turned  to  the  tall  man,  who 
had  said  little  during  the  talk  with  Don  Pascual. 

"  You  believe  the  truth  of  these  tales,  then,  Don 
Francisco  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  I  know  they  are  true,"  answered  Pizarro,  and  now  he 
spoke  with  fire  and  gesture,  where  before  he  had  spoken 
in  low,  constrained  tones.  "  When  with  that  brave  young 
captain,  Vasco  Nunez  de  Balboa,  we  fought  our  way 
over  these  interminable  mountains  and  were  the  first 
white  men  whose  feet  trod  this  earth,  what,  think  you, 
was  the  goal  that  was  before  our  eyes  ?  Were  we  blunder- 
ing like  blind  kittens  in  the  dark,  knowing  not  whither 
we  went  ?  Nay,  young  Balboa  had  an  aim  in  all  he  did. 
His  object  was  the  Land  of  Gold  away  there  to  the  south. 
One  day,  in  the  town  of  Nombre  de  Dios,  which  he  founded 
on  the  other  side  of  the  isthmus,  I  was  with  him  when  he 
weighed  some  gold  which  we  had  got  from  an  Indian 
village.  An  old  chief  stood  with  us,  and  he  struck  the 
scales  with  his  fist,  scattering  the  gold  about  us.  '  Is 
this  what  you  prize,  you  white  men  ?  '  he  cried.  '  Is  it 
for  this  you  are  willing  to  leave  your  homes  across  the 
wide  ocean  to  suffer  hunger  and  thirst  and  risk  your  lives  ? 
I  can  tell  you  of  a  land  where  they  eat  and  arink  from 
golden  vessels,  and  where  gold  to  them  is  as  cheap  as 
iron  is  to  you.'     By  that,  and  by  what  the  barbarian 

i8 


Rumours  of  the  Land  of  Gold 

told  us,  Balboa  was  guided  when  he  scaled  the  mountain 
rampart  of  the  isthmus,  and  when  he  pushed  his  caravel 
twenty  leagues  south  of  the  gulf  here." 

"  Then,  if  such  faith  is  in  you  and  Almagro  here,"  went 
on  Don  Luque,  the  priest,  "  I  think  we  should  not  despair 
of  getting  such  aid  from  the  governor  and  from  others  as 
will  fit  two  such  leaders  as  you  for  a  journey  to  this  Land 
of  Gold,  and  if  heaven  so  wills  that  it  is  to  be  brought 
under  the  sway  of  his  most  Catholic  Majesty  for  the  glory 
of  the  Church  and  the  saving  of  the  benighted  heathens, 
I  doubt  not  your  success." 

"  I  would  that  we  could  do  this  without  the  aid  of 
the  governor,"  said  Pizarro,  and  his  face  was  dark.  "  I 
love  him  not,  for  he  was  jealous  of  the  deeds  of  my 
captain,  Balboa,  and  caused  him  to  be  executed.  Balboa 
was  a  man  he  could  not  hope  to  emulate,  and  he  knew  it 
and  laid  his  plots  to  slay  him." 

"  I  fear  that  a  vessel  could  not  leave  the  port  unless  he 
gave  us  leave,  my  son,"  said  the  priest. 

"  It  will  be  as  much  as  we  may  hope,"  said  Almagro, 
with  a  gesture  of  anger,  "  if  we  do  not  have  to  pay  for  his 
consent,  while  he  will  not  put  down  a  doubloon  towards 
the  expenses,  mean-hearted  that  he  is." 

"  We  must  needs  suffer  him,  then,"  said  Pizarro. 
"  But  I  trust  we  may  never  need  to  ask  him  for  a  peso. 
What  say  you,  Almagro,"  he  went  on  ;  "think  you  that 
Balboa's  caravel,  that  has  lain  dismantled  out  there  in 
the  harbour  these  five  years,  since  his  brave  head  fell  on 
the  block — think  you  it  could  be  made  sound  to  take  us 
on  our  expedition  toward  the  Land  of  Gold  ?  He  made 
his  attempt  in  it,  and  I  think  we  shall  have  good  fortune 
if  we  too  go  in  the  same  vessel." 

"  With  little  cost  it  could  be  made  taut  and  trim," 

19 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

replied  Almagro.  "  But  we  should  need  another.  And 
where  shall  we  find  the  money  ?  I  doubt  we  two  could 
muster  but  a  few  poor  thousand  castellanos,  friend 
Pizarro  ?  " 

"  I  think  you  need  have  no  care  for  that,"  said  the 
priest.  "  I  have  a  friend  who,  I  think,  would  lik  3  to 
have  a  share  in  this  venture." 

"  Well,  father,  he  is  welcome,"  said  Almagro,  with  a 
great  laugh,  "  providing  he  wishes  not  to  command  it. 
For  I  doubt  not  our  friend  Pizarro  will  be  the  best  leader, 
and  I  will  be  second  in  command." 

"  That  will  be  well,"  said  the  priest ;  "  you  have  con- 
quered side  by  side  up  and  down  these  savage  lands  for 
many  years,  and  in  this  also  I  think  you  will  succeed 
together  to  your  ovm  good  fame  and  fortune,  and  the  glory 
of  our  sovereign  the  emperor." 

Almagro  doffed  his  hat  with  a  hearty  laugh.  "May 
your  good  wishes  come  true,  father,"  he  said  cheerily. 

Pizarro  said  nothing.  His  cold  eyes  were  looking  out 
at  sea,  and  his  face  was  sombre  and  stem.  It  seemed  as 
if  the  tragedy  that  was  to  end  the  friendship  of  these 
two  men  had  already  thrown  its  cold  shadow  upon  him 
that  was  to  be  the  conqueror  of  Peru. 


20 


CHAPTER   II 
At  "  Famine  Port  " 

IT  was  on  a  gloomy  day  in  the  middle  of  November, 
in  the  year  1524,  that  Pizarro,  having  embraced 
Almagro  and  his  other  friends,  and  taken  leave  of 
Pedrarias,  the  governor,  descended  the  wooden  steps  of 
the  little  wharf  at  Panama,  and  was  rowed  out  to  the 
caravel  which  was  straining  at  its  anchor  in  the  harbour. 

It  had  been  arranged  that  Pizarro,  with  about  a  hundred 
men,  should  set  out  at  once,  and  Almagro  was  to  follow 
with  another  caravel  as  soon  as  it  could  be  fitted  out. 
Weary  months  had  been  spent  in  getting  money  together 
and  enlisting  volunteers,  for  men  had  been  afraid  of 
going  into  the  unkno^vn  to  a  land  which,  though  reported 
to  be  full  of  treasure,  would  probably  only  be  won  through 
much  toil,  misery  and  pain.  But  at  length  the  combined 
persuasive  powers  of  Pizarro  and  Almagro,  who  had  told 
tales  of  the  great  wealth  there  was  to  be  gained  by  valiant 
soldiers,  had  prevailed  over  fears,  and  now  the  cheers  of 
the  folk  on  shore  sounded  across  the  water,  as  the  anchor 
was  heaved  up,  the  sails  were  stretched  to  the  wind,  and 
the  little  caravel  began  to  move  through  the  waves  on  her 
fateful  journey. 

The  first  few  days  passed  uneventfully.  Pizarro,  having 
issued  from  the  Gulf  of  St  Michael,  steered  almost  due 
south  for  the  Port  of  Pines,  a  headland  beside  the  river 
Biru,   or   Piru.     Already  the   Spaniards  had   begun   to 

21 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

apply  the  name  of  this  stream  to  the  whole  of  the  shadowy 
kingdom  of  gold,  which,  as  report  said,  lay  somewhere  to 
the  south. 

Doubling  the  headland,  Pizarro  sailed  up  the  river  for 
some  leagues.  Rank  vegetation  clothed  the  land  to  the 
very  edge  of  the  water,  but  at  a  place  where,  on  the  south 
bank,  a  space  lay  among  the  great  trees  and  giant  creepers, 
the  anchor  was  let  down,  and  Pizarro  landed  with  all  his 
soldiers. 

None  doubted  that  at  any  moment  they  might  come 
upon  some  rich  town  or  village,  which,  filled  with  treasure, 
and  guarded  only  by  timid  natives,  might  easily  fall  a 
prize  to  a  few  brave  freebooters.  They  therefore  set  off 
with  laughter  and  cheerful  talk,  cutting  their  way  through 
the  matted  undergrowth  of  the  pathless  jungle. 

But  from  the  first  their  hopes  were  doomed,  for  they 
found  that  the  land  was  a  noisome  swamp,  stretching 
for  miles  with  oozy  mud -banks,  pools  of  stagnant  water, 
and  drenched  woods  fringing  dismal  morasses.  Doggedly 
they  persevered,  cheered  by  their  leader  with  tales  of  the 
miseries  which  other  of  their  countrymen  had  suffered 
to  gain  golden  prizes  which  had  made  them  rich  for  life. 
At  length,  emerging  from  the  swamps,  they  mounted  on 
higher  ground  ;  but  so  rough  and  rocky  were  the  hills  they 
had  to  climb  that  their  feet  were  cut  to  the  bone,  and 
the  weary  soldiers,  encumbered  with  heavy  headpieces, 
quilted  doublets  of  cotton  or  coats  of  mail,  almost  sank 
beneath  the  toil. 

Often  when  the  sun  overhead  was  pouring  his  heat  down 
upon  the  bare,  rocky  soil,  men  sank  with  exhaustion, 
vowing  they  would  not  move  another  step  ;  or  even  threw 
their  arms  away  to  rid  themselves  of  a  burden. 

At  the  end  of  some  days,  finding  that  the  iron  land 

22 


Peals  of  thunder  made   the  vessel  tremble 


At  Famine  Port 

promised  nothing  but  toilsome  trave  ,  Pizarro  determined 
to  return.  The  resolve  was  hailed  with  delight ;  the  men's 
spirits  rose  instantly,  and  in  a  few  days  they  were  over- 
joyed at  the  sight  of  the  river  with  the  caravel  lying 
quietly  in  midstream. 

They  dropped  down  the  river,  and,  turning  south, 
coasted  along  the  shore  for  two  leagues.  Then,  casting 
anchor  off  a  clearing  in  the  thick  shore  woods,  Pizarro 
landed  to  take  in  water.  Afterwards  he  directed  the 
pilot  to  steer  the  vessel  due  south  into  the  open  sea.  But 
when  the  boat  had  got  some  leagues  out  at  sea,  a  tempest 
struck  them.  For  days  they  struggled  against  the  fierce 
head -winds  which  seemed  determined  to  beat  them  back. 

Tempest  succeeded  tempest ;  peals  of  thunder  made  the 
vessel  tremble  as  it  mounted  each  great  wave  and  sank 
sickeningly  into  the  next  trough.  The  men  huddled 
miserably  in  the  cabins  below,  or  lay  sick  in  their  bunks  ; 
and  murmured  against  their  ill  luck. 

"  It  is  the  fiend,"  they  said,  "  who  will  not  suffer  us  to 
enter  seas  where  no  white  man  has  ever  been  before. 
Our  chief  cannot  hope  to  prevail  ;  any  one  of  these  moun- 
tainous waves  may  swamp  and  send  us  to  the  bottom." 

For  ten  days,  however,  Pizarro  held  his  dogged  way  in 
the  teeth  of  the  furious  storms,  until,  one  morning,  the 
ship's  master  came  to  him  and  told  him  that  the  vessel's 
seams  had  opened  in  several  places  and  she  was  leaking 
badly. 

The  face  of  Pizarro  went  dark  ;  he  was  enraged,  for 
it  went  hard  against  his  stubborn  heart  to  own  defeat. 
But  his  clear  brain  told  him  that  now  was  no  time  for 
recklessness,  for  at  any  moment  they  might  be  in  danger 
of  foundering. 

"  Then  do  you  and  your  mates  go  find  the  leaks  and 

23 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

mend  them,"  he  said  to  the  shipmaster.  "  I  will  see  that 
my  men  bale  the  ship  ;  and  we  will  go  back  to  the  place 
where  we  took  in  water." 

It  was  done,  but  only  just  in  time.  For  days  on  the 
return  journey  their  efforts  to  keep  the  ship  afloat  often 
seemed  desperate  ;  and  only  by  incessant  baling,  day  and 
night,  did  they  keep  her  from  foundering.  In  all  work 
Pizarro  took  his  part,  cheering  the  men  with  his  grave 
humour  and  encouraging  talk,  now  sympathizing  with 
this  man's  sickness  and  laughing  good-humouredly  at 
another's  woeful  lamentations. 

Then  it  was  found  that  their  food  and  water  were  running 
low ;  the  meat  was  wholly  consumed,  and  at  length  each 
man  was  allowed  but  two  ears  of  Indian  corn  per  day. 

When  at  length  they  reached  the  place  where  they  had 
watered,  they  thought  that  their  sufferings  would  be  over. 
Eagerly  the  men  landed  and  sought  the  firm  land  and  the 
shelter  of  the  trees,  for  now,  though  the  tempests  had 
moderated,  the  rain  fell  with  tropical  violence. 

But  both  firm  land  and  shelter  were  denied  them. 
All  about  them,  as  they  painfully  cut  their  way  through 
the  giant  creepers  and  matted  undergrowth,  they  found 
swampy  land,  with  oozing  mud  and  stagnant  pools.  The 
rain  never  ceased,  and  so  saturated  was  the  ground,  and 
so  strewn  with  wet  leaves,  that  as  men  struck  with  their 
axes  to  cut  away  the  trailing  vines  and  binding  lianas, 
their  own  movements  caused  them  to  slip  down  upon  the 
soil. 

Desolation  reigned  for  miles  ;  no  birds  or  beasts  could 
be  found,  as  the  famished  soldiers  slipped  and  crept 
through  the  dense  growth  beneath  the  giant  trees,  where 
an  eternal  green  twilight  reigned.  But  there  were 
myriads  of  mosquitoes  and  other  biting  insects  that  made 

24 


At  Famine  Port 

life  a  misery  both  by  day  and  night.  The  silence  of  death 
seemed  to  rest  upon  the  forest,  and  when  the  soldier  ceased 
his  walk  and  listened,  he  could  hear  only  the  splash  of  the 
raindrops  on  the  leaves,  the  low  whir  of  insects  round  his 
head,  or  the  groans  of  a  comrade. 

At  length  one  morning,  after  a  night  wretched  with  pangs 
of  hunger  or  pain,  the  men  crawled  from  the  rough  shelters 
of  leaves  which  they  had  made,  and  stood  in  muttering 
groups.  Soon  a  band  of  more  daring  spirits  approached 
where  Pizarro  stood  talking  to  his  secretary,  the  pilot 
Ruiz,  and  his  lieutenant,  Montenegro. 

"  Captain,"  said  the  foremost  soldier,  "  a  pretty  pass 
have  you  brought  us  to.  Here  is  no  food  but  the  poisonous 
berries  on  the  trees,  and  the  only  things  that  thrive  are  the 
flies  that  suck  our  life's  blood  from  us.  Why  do  we  stay 
here  ?  Take  us  back  to  Panama,  or  in  a  little  while  we 
shall  leave  but  our  bones  here." 

"  You  promised  us  a  land  of  gold,"  said  another,  "  but 
'twas  a  fairy  tale  you  told  us.  Never  a  glint  of  gold  have 
we  seen,  but  only  black  swamps  ;  and  the  farther  we  go 
the  worse  we  suffer." 

"  Fate  is  against  us,"  said  a  third.  "  It  seems  that  we 
are  not  meant  to  break  through  these  green  walls  of  trees 
and  creepers.  Better  take  our  chance,  while  yet  we  have 
life,  of  getting  back  to  Panama  ;  or  else  we  shall  all  die 
of  hunger." 

"  What  ?  "  laughed  Pizarro  ;  "  are  you  brave  lads  so 
moved  because  you  have  missed  a  meal  or  two  ?  Would 
you  go  back  like  the  carpet  knight,  Andagoya,  before  you 
have  got  upon  the  road  ?  Have  you  never  heard  of  the 
golden  hoards  of  Tubanama,  and  how  Vasco  Nuiiez  gained 
them  ?  He  and  his  men,  did  they  not  suffer  worse  than 
this  ?    They,  too,  were  famished     they,  too,  wallowed  in 

25 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

swamps,  the  prey  of  biting  insects,  sweltering  in  the  heats, 
subject  to  sudden  onfall  by  unseen  barbarians,  but  was 
there  word  of  retreating  ?  You,  Casco  ;  you,  de  Vega  !  " 
he  said,  pointing  to  men  here  and  there  ;  "  you,  too, 
Gonzalez,  Garcia,  de  Ojeda — you  know  if  I  tell  the  truth, 
for  you  were  there.  And  did  you  not  share  in  the  gold 
hoards  of  the  cacique  ?  I  tell  you  what  you  already  know 
— ^what  Comagre  the  chief,  and  Tumaco  told  Vasco  Nuiiez 
— that  the  treasure  to  be  found  in  the  kingdom  which  lies 
southward  beyond  these  forests  are  to  the  treasures  which 
have  hitherto  been  found  in  Darien  as  the  ocean  is  to 
a  village  pond.  What  is  wanted  to  gain  those  treasures  ? 
I  will  tell  you.  It  is  courage,  the  stout  heart  that  will  not 
falter  before  hunger,  toil  or  pain — the  virtues  that  Spanish 
soldiers  have  ever  shown  they  possess.  Surely  ye  have 
not  lost  those  virtues  in  so  short  a  time  ?  " 

Some  were  moved  by  his  speech  and  said  they  would 
stand  by  him  in  whatever  course  he  desired  to  take  ;  but 
others  still  clamoured  to  return  to  Panama.  At  length 
Pizarro  spoke  : 

"  Look  you,  lads,"  he  said,  "  I  will  have  none  with  me 
but  those  who  have  good  hearts  for  any  danger.  Those 
that  desire  may  go  back  to  Panama.  I  will  send  back  the 
caravel  to  the  Isle  of  Pearls,  where  a  fresh  stock  of  pro- 
visions may  be  laid  in.  Tlie  distance  is  not  great  ;  in  a 
few  days  the  vessel  will  return,  and  then  with  greater 
heart  we  will  be  able  to  go  forward  in  our  venture." 

This  was  done.  That  very  day,  under  the  command  of 
Montenegro,  the  vessel  was  put  about,  and,  with  some  forty 
of  the  total  band,  set  sail  for  the  Isle  of  Pearls,  which  was 
a  few  miles  south  of  Panama,  where  stores  could  be  pro- 
cured. 

Those  who  were  left  behind  began  to  count  the  days 

26 


At  Famine  Port 

that  passed,  and  meanwhile,  to  stay  the  pangs  of  hunger, 
ate  the  shellfish  which  they  picked  up  on  the  shore,  or 
devoured  the  bitter  buds  of  the  palm-tree  or  unsavoury 
herbs  rooted  up  in  the  forest.  Some  died  of  poison,  while, 
as  the  weeks  went  by,  others  crept  away  into  corners  and 
starved  to  death. 

Yet  always  Pizarro  strove  to  keep  up  the  drooping 
spirits  of  his  men,  shared  his  provisions  with  them,  gave 
them  such  rough  doctoring  as  he  could,  and  by  his  ready 
sympathy  gained  the  devotion  of  all  that  survived. 

Then  one  morning  his  secretary  came  to  him  and  said 
that,  wandering  with  a  comrade  the  previous  night  in  a 
distant  part  of  the  forest,  they  had  seen  a  light  through 
an  opening  in  the  trees.  When  the  men  heard  the  news 
they  forgot  their  gnawing  pangs,  each  snatched  up  his 
weapons  and  asked  to  be  led  to  where  perhaps  was  food. 

Pizarro  eagerly  led  the  way,  and  after  penetrating  a  belt 
of  dense  undergrowth,  they  found  themselves  in  a  clearing, 
and  saw  before  them  the  leaf-made  roofs  of  huts.  At  sight 
of  the  strangers,  men,  women  and  children  dashed  with 
terrified  cries  into  the  green  deeps  behind  the  huts,  and 
the  famished  Spaniards,  rushing  forward,  seized  the  maize 
and  cocoa-nuts  which  they  found  and  devoured  them 
ravenously. 

This  was  the  first  of  several  visits  to  the  Indian  village, 
and  soon  they  were  friendly  with  the  natives,  from  whom 
the  men  of  Pizarro  obtained  rough  ornaments  of  gold, 
besides  articles  of  food.  By  the  aid  of  the  smattering  of 
the  Indian  tongue  which  he  had  learned  during  his  years 
of  service,  Pizarro  asked  the  cacique  or  chief  whether  a 
rich  land  lay  to  the  southward. 

"  Yes,"  replied  the  Indian  ;  "  at  the  distance  of  ten 
days'  march  beyond  the  snowy  mountains  there  lies  a  rich 

27 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

and  pleasant  land,  ruled  by  a  great  king  whose  treasure 
in  gold  no  man  may  count.  He  is  called  the  Child  of  the 
Sun,  and  he  has  conquered,  in  dreadful  battles,  a  mighty 
prince  whose  kingdom  lies  among  the  mountains.  Great 
are  their  armies,  and  no  people  can  withstand  the  great 
king,  who  came  down  from  the  Sun  to  reign  on  earth." 

A  few  days  later  Montenegro  returned  with  a  great 
store  of  food.  He  had  been  kept  back  by  head -winds  and 
tempestuous  seas,  and  his  horror  was  great  to  find  his 
comrades  so  reduced  in  number  and  so  wasted  and  haggard 
from  hunger  and  disease. 

Refreshed  and  satisfied  with  food,  the  freebooters  in  a 
few  days'  time  begged  to  be  led  farther  on  their  way  to 
the  south  ;  and  putting  to  sea,  Pizarro  and  his  men  left  the 
place  where  they  had  suffered  so  much.  In  derision,  the 
men  had  already  given  it  the  name  of  "  Famine  Port." 

After  they  had  gone  some  leagues  south,  they  landed  at 
an  open  part  of  the  shore,  and  fell  in  with  a  village,  where 
the  inhabitants  fled,  leaving  the  Spaniards  free  to  take 
much  food,  together  with  gold  ornaments  of  considerable 
value.  The  village  was  on  a  hill  and  well  defended  by 
palisades,  and  it  occurred  to  Pizarro  that  it  might  be  well 
to  take  up  his  quarters  there. 

Already  it  had  become  clear  that  his  little  vessel  had 
suffered  considerable  strain  in  the  tempestuous  seas  she 
had  traversed,  and  that  it  would  be  necessary  to  send 
her  back  with  a  few  men  to  Panama  to  be  repaired  and 
refitted.  Meanwhile  he  would  remain  behind  and  explore 
the  country. 

But  first  he  despatched  Montenegro  A\ith  half  their 
forces  to  try  to  get  in  touch  with  the  natives.  As  soon 
as  the  lieutenant  and  his  men  had  become  entangled  in  a 
defile  of  the  hills,  out  of  the  green  walls  about  them  came 

28 


At   Famine  Port 

a  shower  of  arrows  that  darkened  the  air,  and  blood- 
curdling war-whoops  startled  the  unsuspecting  Spaniards. 
But,  quickly  recovering,  the  white  men  charged  the  hordes 
of  painted,  naked  savages  and  caused  them  to  flee. 

Montenegro  commenced  to  return,  leaving  three  dead 
upon  the  field  ;  but  the  savages,  knowing  the  shorter  ways, 
reached  the  village  long  before  him,  and  poured  upon 
Pizarro  and  his  men  a  cloud  of  arrows,  many  of  which  found 
a  way  through  the  joints  of  the  soldiers'  armour  or  the 
quilted  mail.  Pizarro,  skilful  in  Indian  warfare,  led  his 
men  into  the  open  and  fiercely  charged  the  natives,  who 
gave  way  for  a  time,  but  rallying,  they  pressed  Pizarro, 
whom  they  wounded  in  seven  places.  He  fought  like  a 
lion,  and  thus  encouraged  his  men,  so  that  the  enemy 
faltered  somewhat. 

Just  at  that  moment  Montenegro  caught  them  in  their 
rear.  The  carnage  was  great,  for  the  Indians  fled  in  dis- 
order ;  but  the  victory  was  dearly  bought  by  the  loss  of 
five  Spaniards,  besides  a  long  list  of  wounded. 

In  this  juncture  of  affairs  Pizarro  called  a  council  of  war. 

"  I  think,"  said  Ruiz  the  pilot,  "  you  cannot  stay  here, 
captain.  The  Indians  have  given  us  but  a  foretaste,  and 
to  our  sixty  men  they  could  bring  six  thousand,  for  the 
rumour  of  our  invasion  will  spread  far  and  wide,  and  that 
quickly." 

"  Moreover,"  said  Montenegro,  "  I  doubt  whether  it  will 
be  wise  to  proceed  farther  in  our  ship.  It  made  much 
water  coming  from  the  Isle  of  Pearls,  and  I  doubt  the  first 
tempest  would  open  all  her  seams." 

"  He  speaks  truth,"  said  Ruiz. 

Pizarro  listened  in  silence  and  sat  brooding  for  some 
time.  It  went  to  his  proud  heart  to  think  that  he  was 
returning  without  having  done  the  task  which  he  had  set 

29 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

out  to  do.  Certainly,  he  would  not  face  the  governor  and 
his  friends,  Almagro  and  Luque,  empty-handed  :  the  gold 
they  had  obtained  was  of  considerable  value.  But  the  mag- 
nificent hopes  of  the  adventurers  had  not  been  realized. 
Yet  he  thought  that  enough  had  been  done  and  learned  to 
prove  that  their  dreams  of  the  Land  of  Gold  were  not 
baseless. 

Nevertheless  when,  some  weeks  later,  the  little  vessel 
sailed  into  the  Gulf  of  St  Michael,  Pizarro  decided  that  he 
would  not  meet  Governor  Pedrarias  at  once.  He  therefore 
landed  Avith  the  greater  part  of  his  men  at  Chicama,  a  village 
some  miles  west  of  Panama,  on  the  mainland .  From  there 
he  sent  the  ship  with  his  treasurer,  Nicolas  de  Ribera, 
in  order  that  the  latter  might  give  Pedrarias  an  account  of 
the  expedition  and  display  the  gold  they  had  got  together. 

Some  time  passed,  when  one  day  news  came  to  Pizarro 
that  a  vessel  was  sailing  toward  the  land.  Running  down 
to  the  seashore,  Pizarro  recognized  it  as  the  little  caravel 
which  his  lieutenant  Almagro  had  remained  behind  to  fit 
out.  In  a  little  while  he  saw  his  friend,  who  wore  a  bandage 
round  his  head,  descend  the  side  of  the  ship  into  a  boat, 
and  as  soon  as  Almagro  stepped  on  shore  the  two  friends 
embraced  and  greeted  each  other. 

"  I  have  but  just  returned  from  following  in  your  track," 
said  Almagro,  when  they  were  seated  in  Pizarro 's  hut.  "  As 
was  arranged  between  us,  I  fitted  out  the  little  caravel, 
but  a  plaguy  task  it  was  to  get  volunteers  to  come  with  me. 
But  at  length  I  got  some  sixty  of  the  roughest  scoundrels  in 
Panama  and  set  out.  I  found  each  place  where  you  landed, 
by  the  notches  on  the  trees,  and  at  the  last  place  where  I 
found  your  marks  I  also  found  the  graves  of  the  men  whom 
doubtless  you  lost  in  battle  with  the  Indians.  Hardly 
had  we  found  the  wooden  crosses  on  their  graves  when 

30 


At   Famine  Port 

we  in  our  turn  were  assailed  by  the  savages  from  the 
palisaded  village  on  the  hill.  So  enraged  was  I  that  I  carried 
the  wretched  place  by  assault,  and  there  I  received  this 
wound,"  pointing  to  his  head,  "  which  is  like  to  lose  me  an 
eye.  But  I  got  much  gold  in  that  village,  and  also  at  other 
villages  farther  south  where  I  touched.  I  found  a  river 
there,  with  cultivated  fields  and  villages  along  its  borders. 
My  mind  was  filled  with  fear  for  you,  my  dear  Pizarro, 
and  I  wondered  whether  you  had  foundered.  Finally,  I 
resolved  to  return  to  Panama  in  case  you  had  also  returned 
and  we  had  passed  each  other  at  night  or  during  a  mist.  I 
touched  at  the  Isle  of  Pearls  and  heard  that  you  were 
staying  here.  And  now,  comrade,  how  have  you  sped  ? 
Of  a  truth,  you  and  these  brave  fellows  about  us  look 
haggard  and  thin,  as  if  you  have  seen  misfortune." 

Long  sat  the  two  friends  recounting  their  journeys,  ex- 
ploits and  escapes.  It  appeared  that  the  gold  collected  by 
Almagro  was  even  greater  than  that  obtained  by  Pizarro. 
Moreover,  the  information  Pizarro  had  gained  was  also  con- 
firmed by  his  friend,  for  at  several  places  Almagro  had 
heard  from  friendly  Indians  of  a  great  and  opulent  empire 
lying  many  days'  journey  over  the  mountains. 

"  Friend,"  said  Pizarro,  at  length,  "  what  you  have 
learned  and  what  I  have  learned  confirms  me  in  my  con- 
fidence that  great  wealth  and  fame  will  be  ours  if  we  but 
persevere  m  this  venture.  As  for  me,"  he  went  on,  stand- 
ing up  and  lifting  in  his  hand  the  black  ivory  cross  that 
hung  by  a  silver  chain  about  his  neck,  "  I  swear  here  and 
now  that  I  will  rather  die  than  abandon  this  enterprise." 

"  And  I  also  pledge  myself  to  that,"  said  Almagro,  rising 
and  seizing  Pizarro 's  hand.  "  By  the  cross,  I  will  not  cease 
my  efforts  until  we  stand  in  the  midst  of  that  land  of  Peru 
and  know  that  we  are  its  conquerors." 

31 


CHAPTER    III 

The   Faithful  Thirteen 

IT  was  arranged  between  Pizarro  and  Almagro  that  the 
latter  should  proceed  to  the  governor  and  request  per- 
mission to  raise  volunteers  for  a  larger  expedition,  and 
generally  try  to  gain  his  good  will.  But  when,  a  few  days 
after  his  meeting  with  Pizarro,  Almagro  presented  himself 
before  Pedrarias  the  governor,  he  was  received  with  black 
looks  and  scornful  laughter.  The  governor  demanded  an 
account  of  the  lives  which  had  been  lost  by  Pizarro  in  the 
fights  with  the  Indians,  mocked  Almagro's  tales  of  the 
magnificent  country  of  which  he  had  learned  particulars, 
and  at  length  said  that  he  would  not  consent  to  any 
further  expedition. 

Almagro  went  away  very  crestfallen  ;  and  going  to 
Father  Luque,  he  told  him  all  his  tale. 

"Be  of  good  cheer,  my  son,"  said  the  priest,  when  he 
had  heard  all ;  "  I  will  do  all  in  my  power  to  gain  his 
assent,  for  I  have  heard  all  that  Pizarro  has  done,  and 
what  you  now  tell  me  of  your  adventures  confirms  me  more 
strongly  than  ever  in  the  belief  that  there  is  a  rich  Indian 
empire  to  the  south,  which  will  repay  the  trouble  of 
conquering  it  as  Mexico  repaid  the  daring  of  Hernando 
Cortes." 

The  priest  was  as  good  as  his  word.  His  wisdom  and 
learning  gave  him  great  weight  in  the  councils  of  the  settle- 
ment of  Panama,  and  Pedrarias  at  length  gave  a  reluctant 

32 


The   Faithful  Thirteen 

consent  to  the  expedition  being  put  forward  a  second 
time. 

"  But,"  he  said,  "  I  mistrust  that  fellow  Pizarro.  He 
shall  not  command  this  venture  alone  ;  Almagro  shall  be 
equal  in  command,  so  that  the  other  shall  not  lord  it  as  he 
wishes." 

Almagro,  when  this  was  told  him,  was  pleased  at  being 
given  equal  rank  with  Pizarro  ;  but  the  latter's  proud  mind 
was  deeply  wounded,  not  only  at  the  degradation,  but  by 
the  suspicion  which  it  aroused  that  Almagro  had  sought 
to  injure  him  and  had  urged  the  governor  to  give  him 
equal  power. 

Though  Pizarro  and  Almagro  were  outwardly  almost 
as  friendly  as  before,  the  seeds  of  distrust  were  sown  in 
Pizarro's  suspicious  mind,  to  grow  and  ripen  as  time  went 
on  into  tragic  results. 

Once  having  obtained  the  governor's  consent  to  a 
second  expedition,  Pizarro  and  Almagro  set  about  getting 
further  ships  and  stores.  But  most  people  in  Panama 
thought  they  were  madmen,  to  venture  on  such  a 
hazardous  and  distant  journey,  full  of  frightful  dangers 
as  it  might  be,  and  quite  ignorant  of  the  strength  of  the 
Indians  in  the  land  they  hoped  to  conquer. 

Father  Luque  was  very  zealous  in  his  endeavours  on 
behalf  of  the  two  captains,  and  obtained  from  a  rich 
merchant  of  Panama,  named  Espinosa,  who  looked  favour- 
ably on  the  venture,  the  loan  of  twenty  thousand  pesos, 
equivalent  to  about  twelve  thousand  pounds  of  English 
money  ;  with  which  sum  two  large  vessels  were  purchased, 
and  a  great  quantity  of  stores  was  bought. 

Then  Pizarro  and  Almagro  entered  into  a  binding  agree- 
ment with  Father  Luque,  to  pay  him,  on  behalf  of  the 
merchant,  a  third  of  all  the  gold  and  precious  things  which 

c  33 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

they  might  win  in  their  venture.  So  solemn  a  thing  was 
this  compact  thought,  that,  in  the  presence  of  many  of 
the  inhabitants,  after  the  signing  of  the  agreement.  Father 
Luque  administered  the  sacrament  to  the  parties  to  it, 
dividing  the  consecrated  wafer  into  three  portions,  of 
which  he  and  the  two  leaders  took  equal  parts. 

Those  that  stood  by  thought  they  were  looking  upon  two 
brave  men  who  were  undoubtedly  devoting  themselves  to 
an  insane  venture  which  would  end  in  disaster  and  death, 
and  many  were  moved  to  tears. 

"  I  tell  you,"  said  one,  as  the  onlookers  separated,  "  our 
friends  Pizarro  and  Almagro  will  be  turning  on  spits  before 
a  fire  to  grace  a  feast  of  savage  Indians  before  a  year  is  out." 

"  And  as  to  Father  Luque,"  returned  a  friend,  "  who 
aids  and  abets  them  in  all  their  madness,  he  should  change 
his  name  and  be  called  Father  Loco  "  (madman). 

After  this  ceremony  the  two  leaders  rapidly  completed 
their  arrangements,  and  when  provisions,  ammunition  and 
some  horses  had  been  purchased,  they  made  proclamation 
through  the  town  that  they  were  about  to  lead  an  ex- 
pedition to  Peru,  and  desired  volunteers. 

But  recruits  were  hard  to  get.  Most  people  scoffed  at 
the  whole  thing,  as  a  venture  of  desperate  and  ignorant  men. 
Nevertheless,  as  time  went  on,  volunteers  came  forward. 
Most  of  the  survivors  of  the  former  cruise  enrolled  them- 
selves, and  other  men  were  found  whose  fortunes  were  so 
desperate  that  they  welcomed  any  change,  or  chance  of 
bettering  them. 

When,  therefore,  in  the  summer  of  1527,  Pizarro  and 
Almagro,  each  in  his  vessel,  set  sail  from  Panama,  the 
united  crews  numbered  about  one  hundred  and  sixty  men, 
a  small  army  indeed  with  which  to  conquer  a  rich  and 
powerful  kingdom. 

34 


The   Faithful  Thirteen 

Pizarro  decided  not  to  touch  at  any  of  the  intervening 
places  on  the  coast,  and  therefore  directed  Ruiz  the  pilot 
to  steer  straightway  for  the  point  reached  by  Almagro. 
This  was  the  river  named  by  that  leader  the  Rio  de  San 
Juan,  on  the  banks  of  which  he  had  seen  many  Indian 
cottages  and  cultivated  fields.  So  fair  was  the  weather 
that  the  vessels  reached  the  mouth  of  the  river  only  a  few 
days  after  leaving  Panama. 

They  cast  anchor  in  the  river  and  saw  that  the  banks 
had  many  Indian  houses  standing  in  the  midst  of  fields. 
Pizarro  landed  at  the  head  of  a  party  of  men,  and,  creeping 
through  the  trees,  surprised  a  village,  out  of  which  they 
took  a  large  store  of  gold  ornaments,  besides  several 
prisoners. 

So  pleased  were  the  leaders  at  their  success,  and  the 
promise  which  the  gold  gave  of  a  still  richer  conquest,  that 
it  was  arranged  between  them  that  Almagro  should  return 
to  Panama  with  the  treasure,  so  that,  by  showing  it  to 
the  soldiers  and  relating  how  easily  it  had  been  obtained, 
a  stronger  body  of  volunteers  could  be  got  together. 
Meanwhile,  with  the  other  vessel  Ruiz  the  pilot  was  to  sail 
still  farther  south  along  the  coast,  to  view  out  the  land. 

Pizarro  was  to  remain  on  shore  with  the  rest  of  the  men, 
and  form  a  camp  in  an  open  piece  of  country  which,  as  he 
was  assured  by  the  prisoners,  lay  a  little  way  back  from 
the  river. 

Ruiz  the  pilot,  issuing  from  the  mouth  of  the  river  in  his 
little  vessel,  sailed  southward  along  the  shore  as  far  as  a 
large  bay,  which  they  named  St  Matthew.  At  every  step  of 
the  way  the  country  seemed  more  densely  populated  ;  the 
fields  were  larger  and  better  cultivated,  and  crowds  of 
natives  stood  on  shore  looking  at  the  strange  thing  moving 
along  the  face  of  the  sea. 

35 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

A  little  later  the  Spaniards  were  astonished  to  see  in  the 
distance  what  looked  like  a  caravel  of  huge  size.  Believing 
that  they  were  the  first  European  navigators  who  had 
ever  entered  these  seas,  some  consternation  was  created  by 
the  sight  until,  as  the  great  vessel  came  nearer,  they  made 
out  that  it  was  a  large  raft,  rigged  with  a  great  sail, 
by  which  the  vessel  was  carried  sluggishly  over  the  water. 

Several  Indians  were  on  board,  wearing  rich  ornaments 
of  silver  and  gold,  and  they  also  carried  articles  skilfully 
worked  in  the  same  material  for  the  purpose  of  trading 
along  the  coast.  The  dress  of  the  Indians  was  made  of 
cloth  of  a  fine  texture,  dyed  in  brilliant  colours,  and  em- 
broidered with  birds  and  flowers.  There  were  also  on  the 
raft  a  pair  of  scales  for  weighing  precious  metals. 

All  these  evidences  of  ingenuity  and  refinement  were  so 
different  from  anything  they  had  hitherto  seen  among  the 
native  Indians  that  the  Spaniards  were  astonished  at 
them  ;  and  their  admiration  was  increased  by  what  the 
Indians  told  them.  They  gave  the  Spaniards  to  under- 
stand that  they  came  from  a  rich  town  some  miles  to  the 
south,  named  Tumbez,  that  in  the  neighbourhood  of  that 
place  there  were  great  flocks  of  animals  from  whose  hair 
their  robes  were  spun,  and  that  in  the  palaces  of  their 
king,  gold  and  silver  were  as  common  as  wood. 

Ruiz  the  pilot  half  doubted  their  wonderful  talk,  and 
therefore  he  kept  some  of  the  Indians  on  board,  but  let 
the  others  proceed  on  their  journey.  A  little  while  after 
this  the  pilot  tacked  about,  and,  standing  away  to  the 
north,  regained  the  river  where  he  had  left  Pizarro,  after 
an  absence  of  some  weeks. 

Meanwhile  Pizarro  and  his  band  had  suffered  from  the 
privations  which  they  had  undergone.  When  the  two 
ships  had  left  them  Pizarro  had  started  out  to  find  the  open 

36 


The  Faithful  Thirteen 

country  which  had  been  spoken  of  by  the  Indians.  But 
day  had  followed  day  on  the  difficult  march,  and  the  forest 
had  seemed  to  become  denser  and  darker,  the  trees  higher, 
and  the  clinging  vines  and  creepers  more  difficult  to  cut 
through. 

Moreover,  they  found  themselves  lost  in  a  succession  of 
high  hills  and  deep  and  noisome  ravines,  where,  through 
the  matted  trees,  the  light  of  the  tropical  sun  hardly  pene- 
trated to  guide  their  way.  There  were  brilliant  flowers, 
and  birds  of  lovely  plumage  ;  but  there  was  also  the  giant 
boa  constrictor,  coiling  closely  round  the  trees,  his  folds 
so  like  the  lights  and  shadows  as  to  be  quite  indistinguish- 
able until  his  deathly  grip  was  about  his  victim  ;  and  in  the 
pools  and  rivers  which  they  skirted  were  alligators  lying, 
the  shape  and  size  of  tree  trunks,  to  seize  the  unfortunate 
man  who  came  unwarily  to  the  water's  edge. 

Added  to  these  dangers  was  the  perpetual  watch  of  the 
Indians,  who  dogged  the  steps  of  the  adventurers  as  if  they 
were  their  shadows,  unseen  themselves  in  the  sombre 
twilight  of  the  forest,  their  presence  only  known  when  some 
unfortunate  man,  straggling  wearily  behind  the  main  body, 
shrieked  in  his  death  agony. 

Then  famine  came.  They  were  reduced  to  searching 
for  the  potato,  which  was  to  be  found  sometimes  growing 
wild  in  the  hills,  or  the  berries  growing  on  the  bushes,  or 
the  cocoa-nut.  They  made  haste  to  return  to  the  place 
whence  they  had  started  from  the  river  bank,  suffering 
more  and  more  from  the  pangs  of  hunger. 

Along  the  seashore  they  were  in  worse  state,  for  in  the 
swampy  thickets  of  the  mangrove  they  were  tortured  by 
clouds  of  mosquitoes,  which  compelled  them  to  bury  their 
bodies  up  to  their  very  faces  in  the  sand  and  mud. 

So  desperate  had  most  of  the  little  band  become  that 

37 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

now,  with  the  exception  of  Pizarro  and  a  few  strong  spirits, 
all  desired  nothing  but  to  return  at  once  to  Panama,  to 
food  and  comfort. 

Then  one  day  rang  a  wild  cry  of  delight  through  the 
dark  mangrove  swamps.  "  Ruiz  is  coming  !  Ruiz  is 
coming ! "  some  cried,  and  pointed  out  to  sea,  where  the 
caravel  rode  the  waves,  with  all  her  sails  bellying  before 
the  favouring  breeze.  With  what  eagerness  they  shared 
the  stores  of  food  in  the  ship,  and,  as  strength  and  hope 
returned,  listened  to  his  tale  of  brilliant  hopes  ! 

A  few  days  later  Almagro  also  sailed  into  port,  with  a 
large  store  of  fresh  provisions  on  board,  and  a  band  of 
eighty  adventurers,  eager  to  share  in  the  conquest  and 
plunder  of  a  kingdom. 

Strengthened  by  plentiful  food  and  encouraged  by  their 
increase  of  numbers,  Pizarro's  adventurers  straightway 
forgot  their  sufferings  and  clamoured  to  be  led  forthwith 
towards  the  Land  of  Gk)ld. 

Accordingly  they  set  sail,  keeping  near  to  the  shore. 
But  by  this  time  the  summer  season  was  past ;  the  tropical 
sun  had  given  place  to  grey  clouds  and  storms  of  rain  ;  a 
wind  blew  perpetually  against  them,  and  the  very  currents, 
setting  northwards,  seemed  to  press  them  back.  It  was 
not  long  before  many  of  the  soldiers,  suffering  from  the 
eternal  jostling  of  the  sea,  began  to  wish  themselves 
on  shore  again  ;  but  it  was  not  deemed  wise  to  risk  a 
landing. 

As  the  ships  pushed  farther  south,  the  country  looked 
more  smiling  ;  the  impenetrable  and  savage  woods,  lined 
with  tortuous  mangrove  swamps  to  the  very  brink  of  the 
sea,  now  gave  way  to  many  stretches  of  open  country, 
which  could  be  seen  to  be  well  cultivated  with  maize, 
potatoes  and  cocoa  ;  and  instead  of  wild  solitudes,  towns 

38 


The  Faithful  Thirteen 

and  villages  began  to  be  revealed  in  greater  number  with 
the  passing  of  every  headland. 

But  while  the  country  thus  promised  wealth  and  plenty, 
the  natives  became  more  threatening.  Crowds  of  warriors 
stood  on  the  shore  as  the  ships  went  past,  flourishing  their 
weapons  and  shouting  their  war-cries,  as  if  daring  the 
strangers  to  land. 

At  length,  casting  anchor  before  a  large  and  populous 
port,  which  their  prisoners  said  was  called  Tacamez, 
Pizarro  determined  to  land  and  try  to  arrange  for  a 
friendly  conference  with  the  natives,  who  were  standing 
in  hundreds  on  the  beach.  He  therefore  went  ashore, 
taking  some  of  the  horses  which  they  had  brought  with 
them  in  this  expedition. 

With  the  aid  of  his  captives,  Pizarro  endeavoured  to 
make  overtures  of  peace  to  the  natives,  who,  however, 
would  not  listen,  but  pressed  about  the  Spaniards  with 
every  appearance  of  hostility.  Some  of  the  adventurers 
resented  the  fierce  bearing  of  the  natives,  and  blows  began 
to  be  given  on  both  sides. 

For  a  few  moments  it  looked  as  if  the  Spaniards,  sur- 
rounded by  hundreds  of  fierce  warriors,  would  be  wiped 
out  of  existence  ;  but  a  strange  accident  saved  them. 
During  the  struggle  one  of  the  cavaliers  happened  to  fall 
from  his  horse.  This  so  startled  the  Indians,  who  had 
believed  that  man  and  beast  were  one,  that,  filled  with 
fear,  they  retreated  with  cries  of  terror.  The  Spanish 
leader,  seizing  the  opportunity,  commanded  his  men  to 
retreat,  and  all  reached  the  vessels  safely. 

Having  withdrawn  the  ships  from  the  shore,  Pizarro 
called  a  council  of  war,  to  decide  what  should  be  done  : 
whether  they  should  go  farther,  or  return  to  Panama  to 
obtain  more  men. 

39 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

"  I  think  'twere  foolish  to  go  farther,"  said  one ;  "  it 
is  evident  that  with  our  small  force  we  could  never  make 
head  against  so  fierce  and  warlike  a  nation  as  these  Indians. 
The  land  seems  thickly  populated,  and  we  should  be  over- 
whelmed in  an  attempt  to  conquer  it.  Better  go  back, 
for  the  enterprise  is  beyond  our  strength." 

There  were  cries  of  assent  to  this  proposal  from  many 
others,  men  of  a  faint  heart,  who  loved  not  dangers  and 
discomforts. 

"  No,  by  Our  Lady,"  burst  out  Almagro,  in  a  rage  ; 
"  that  is  the  counsel  of  a  chicken  heart.  To  go  home  now 
with  nothing  done  would  be  ruin,  as  well  as  disgrace. 
Most  of  us  here  have  left  creditors  at  Panama.  Would 
they  welcome  us  empty-handed  ?  Are  they  not  looking 
to  see  us  come  back  to  pay  them  with  the  golden  gains 
of  this  conquest  ?  If  you  go  back  now,  you  go  back  poor. 
You  will  have  to  beg  for  alms,  or  be  thro%vn  into  prison 
by  your  enraged  creditors.  As  for  me,  I  would  rather 
roam  a  freeman  here  than  lie  and  rot  in  fetters  in  the 
prisons  of  Panama." 

"  What  is  your  counsel,  then,  Almagro  ?  "  said  Pizarro. 

"  I  advise  this,"  rephed  the  other  leader:  "that  you 
seek  out  some  commodious  place  where  you  could  remain 
with  a  part  of  the  force,  while  I  go  back  to  Panama 
for  recruits." 

"  Fine  advice,  truly,"  returned  Pizarro,  with  a  scornful 
laugh.  "  In  spite  of  your  brave  boasts,  you  choose  the 
pleasanter  post  for  yourself.  You  wish  to  cruise  to  and 
fro  in  your  vessel,  never  very  far  from  the  fleshpots  of 
Panama ;  while  and  I  others  stay  behind  to  await  your 
pleasure,  dying  in  the  wilderness  from  hunger  and  disease." 

Almagro,  enraged  at  his  friend's  scornful  words,  cried  : 
"  Then  you  go  to  Panama  !     I  am  willing  tot  ake  my 

40 


The   Faithful  Thirteen 

part  ill  any  toil.  You  shall  not  charge  me  with  a  coward's 
part," 

But  Pizarro  was  not  to  be  appeased.  He  knew  that 
Almagro's  advice  was  the  best ;  but  he  hated  to  have  to 
give  up  the  expedition.  Their  words  became  more  and 
more  heated  ;  eyes  flashed  ;  hands  leapt  to  sword-hilts, 
and  it  seemed  that  a  few  more  moments  would  have  seen 
them  at  each  other's  throats. 

Fortunately,  cooler  heads  were  by ;  and  Ribera  the 
treasurer,  and  the  old  sea-dog,  Ruiz,  succeeded  in  pacify- 
ing them. 

"Have  done,  senores,"  they  said.  "How  fine  a  story 
would  it  be  to  tell  those  who  have  sneered  at  you  in 
Panama  that  you,  the  two  leaders  of  this  expedition,  ended 
it  by  cutting  each  other's  throats  ?  " 

Pizarro  and  Almagro  were  reconciled,  at  least  to  outward 
seeming ;  and,  after  some  further  talk,  the  latter's  plan 
was  decided  upon. 

When,  however,  this  decision  was  made  known  to  the 
men,  they  broke  out  in  complaints,  especially  those  who 
were  told  they  were  to  stay  behind  with  Pizarro,  on  an 
island  which  the  leaders  had  decided  upon. 

"  So,"  cried  one,  "this  is  to  be  the  end  of  us.  After 
being  deceived  and  cheated  into  taking  part  in  this  ex- 
pedition, where  we  were  to  find  gold  as  easily  as  stones, 
we  are  to  be  marooned  on  a  desolate  island,  to  starve  or 
die  of  disease." 

"  While  Almagro  and  the  others  go  back  to  Panama," 
said  a  second,  "  to  tell  more  lies  and  thus  entice  other 
fools  out  to  this  hare-brained  venture." 

"  Look  at  our  treasures  !  "  sneered  a  third,  holding  forth 
some  native  bows  and  arrows.  "  This  is  what  we  have 
gained  of  all  the  wealth  that  was  promised  us." 

41 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

"  And  now,"  said  the  first  speaker,  "  we  shall  leave  our 
bones  on  a  savage  island  with  not  so  much  as  a  handful 
of  consecrated  earth  to  cover  them." 

So  bitterly  disappointed  were  they  that  they  decided 
to  write  to  their  friends  in  Panama,  telling  them  how  they 
had  been  defrauded  and  were  now  kept  back  by  force, 
to  be  sacrificed  to  the  mad  cupidity  of  their  leaders. 
These  letters  they  gave  into  the  keeping  of  some  of  the 
soldiers  who  were  going  back  to  Panama. 

But  Pizarro  and  Almagro  had  got  wind  of  the  discontent, 
and  when  the  ship  was  about  to  set  sail,  Almagro  ordered 
all  letters  to  be  given  up  to  him.  This  got  to  the  ears  of 
Pizarro's  men  and  exasperated  them  beyond  measure, 
for  they  saw  themselves  again  outwitted,  and  they  cursed 
Almagro  heartily  for  his  high-handed  action. 

One  of  their  number,  however,  a  man  named  Juan  de 
Sarabia,  suggested  that  there  was  still  time  to  remedy  the 
check  placed  upon  them.  He  hurriedly  wrote  another 
letter,  got  several  of  the  men  to  sign  it,  and  then,  seizing 
a  quantity  of  native  cotton,  he  wound  the  threads  round 
and  round  the  letter. 

Just  when  Almagro 's  vessel  was  about  to  heave  the 
anchor,  and  all  except  his  own  men  were  ordered  to  leave, 
Sarabia  walked  up  to  Almagro  as  he  stood  giving  orders 
on  the  deck,  and,  presenting  the  roll  of  cotton  to  him, 
said  : 

"  Seiior  Almagro,  the  lady  of  the  governor  would,  I 
am  sure,  be  pleased  to  see  what  these  poor  heathens  make 
their  garments  of.  I  therefore  suggest  that  you  present 
this  specimen  to  her." 

"  Good,"  said  Almagro  ;  "  go  quickly  and  place  it  in  my 
cabin  with  the  other  specimens." 

Sarabia  did  as  he  was  ordered,  then  gravely  left  the 

42 


■^W^^tSM^ 


Eyes  flashed;  hands  leapt  to  sword-hilts 


42 


The  Faithful  Thirteen 

ship,  being  the  last  man  to  go  over  the  side,  after  a  pro- 
found and  ironical  bow  to  Almagro. 

When  the  vessel  arrived  at  Panama,  Almagro  went  to  the 
governor,  and,  having  made  his  report,  showed  the  various 
items  of  gold  and  silver,  stuffs  and  cloths  which  they  had 
collected  from  the  Indians.  These  were  not  very  valuable, 
but  Almagro  made  up  for  this  by  the  glowing  colours  with 
which  he  painted  the  wealth  and  fertility  of  the  regions 
which  they,  of  all  Europeans,  had  been  the  first  to  dis- 
cover. The  governor  was  impressed,  as  were  others  who 
stood  by  him  ;  and  Almagro  went  from  the  interview 
convinced  that  he  had  gained  the  governor's  good  will  for 
the  further  and  larger  force  which  Pizarro  and  he  wished 
to  raise. 

Almagro  and  Luque,  after  a  long  talk  together,  were  in 
the  highest  spirits,  being  confident  now  that  the  wealthy 
regions  of  the  Land  of  Gold  were  almost  within  their 
reach. 

Next  day  they  went  together  to  the  house  of  the 
governor,  desiring  to  press  their  claims  while  the  good 
impression  of  Almagro 's  report  was  still  fresh.  As  they 
entered  the  ante-chamber  they  marvelled  at  the  looks 
which  were  fixed  on  them  by  those  standing  about.  Some 
sneered,  others  laughed,  and  there  were  still  others  who 
looked  blackly  at  them. 

They  were  instantly  admitted  to  the  governor,  and  the 
men  in  the  ante -room  crowded  behind  them  into  the  great 
chamber. 

The  governor,  a  tall  man  of  a  military,  high-bred  air, 
was  walking  up  and  down  with  impatient  steps,  and  as 
they  entered  he  turned  upon  them,  his  eyes  flashing,  his 
face  dark  with  a  scowl. 

"  What  is  this  you  have  told  me  ?  "  he  cried,  looking  at 

43 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

Almagro.  "  You  come  with  your  romantic  tales,  you 
tell  me  of  riches,  of  fertile  lands,  of  vessels  of  gold  and 
silver  finely  wrought,  of  rich  garments  and  delicately  spun 
stuffs.  But  what  have  you  to  say  of  the  lives  of  the  men 
you  have  lost  by  your  mad  lust  for  gold  ?  What  have 
you  to  tell  me  of  the  miseries  suffered  by  those  you  have 
left  behind — of  their  slow  death  by  starvation,  by  poison- 
ous insects  and  fierce  beasts  ?  Tell  me  the  truth,  or  by 
our  sovereign  lord  the  emperor,  you  shall  rot  in  jail  as  a 
common  fraud  and  cheat." 

For  a  moment  Almagro  was  taken  aback  by  the  sudden 
and  unexpected  storm  of  the  governor's  wrath.  Then, 
recovering,  he  said  : 

"  I  know  not  what  your  Highness  means,  or  who  has 
lied  to  you.     It  is  not  I." 

"  No  ?  "  replied  Don  Pedro,  with  a  laugh.  "  Then 
perhaps  you  have  only  suppressed  a  great  part  of  the 
truth.  See  here  !  This  letter  was  found  rolled  up  in  a 
bundle  of  cotton  which  you  brought  for  my  lady,  and  in 
it  you  and  your  fellow-madman,  Pizarro,  are  painted  in 
your  true  colours.  You  are  the  drover,  sent  by  the  butcher 
to  collect  more  poor,  foolish  sheep,  to  be  taken  out  into 
that  wilderness  of  swamps  and  terrible  forests  to  be 
slaughtered  or  starved." 

"  By  my  head  !  "  cried  Almagro,  his  anger  leaping  forth 
at  seeing  how  the  malcontents  had  outwitted  him,  after 
he  had  confiscated  their  letters,  "  I  will  hang  that  rascal 
who  disobeyed  my  orders  to  the  highest  tree  when  I  lay 
my  hand  on  him." 

"  Have  a  care  what  you  say,"  said  Don  Pedro,  in  a  hard 
voice.  "  The  power  of  life  and  death  lies  with  me  alone. 
And  on  behalf  of  his  Majesty  I  demand  an  account  of  you 
and  of  Pizarro,  for  your  high-handed  treatment  of  my 

44 


The   Faithful  Thirteen 

soldiers,  fellow-subjects  of  his  Catholic  Majesty.     Listen 
to  this." 

Whereupon  Don  Pedro  read  the  letter  which  Juan  de 
Sarabia  had  hidden  in  the  roll  of  cotton.  In  this  were 
related  the  miseries  which  the  writers  had  suffered  when 
left  alone  with  Pizarro  on  the  mainland,  and  it  was  stated 
that  it  was  the  cold-blooded  greed  of  Pizarro  which  now 
forced  them  against  their  wills  to  stay  marooned  upon  an 
island,  where,  unless  the  governor  in  the  kindness  of  his 
heart  sent  a  vessel  at  once  to  take  them  away,  they  would 
undoubtedly  succumb  to  their  miseries.  At  the  end  of  the 
letter  Sarabia  had  written  a  doggerel  verse,  which  ran  as 

follows  : — 

"  Look  out,  Senor  Governor, 
For  the  drover  while  he's  near  : 
Since  he  goes  home  to  get  the  sheep, 
P^or  the  Butcher  who  stays  here." 

"  Now,"  asked  the  governor,  "  what  is  the  truth  ? 
Did  those  men  desire  to  stay  with  Pizarro,  or  did  they 
not  ?  " 

To  this  Almagro  could  give  but  one  answer,  in  spite  of 
his  angry  denunciations  of  the  malcontents. 

"  You  are  judged  from  your  own  mouth,"  said  Don 
Pedro.  "  I  will  listen  no  more  to  you  nor  to  Don  Luque, 
who,  I  think,  in  spite  of  his  usual  wisdom,  is  in  this  matter 
more  than  a  little  mad.     And  this  is  my  command." 

He  looked  around  at  the  men  standing  near  and 
beckoned  one  to  him. 

"  Don  Tafur,"  he  said,  "  I  bid  you  to  take  two  vessels, 
store  them  with  provisions  and  go  quickly  to  this  island 
of  Gallo,  mentioned  in  this  letter,  and  bring  back  every 
Spaniard  that  you  fuid  alive  when  you  get  there.  Go  at 
once,  and  set  about  the  work." 

45 


The   Conquerors  of  Peru 

Don  Tafiir  saluted  and  walked  from  the  room.  Almagro 
and  Don  Luque,  knowing  that  in  his  present  incensed 
state  of  mind  the  governor  would  not  listen  to  them,  also 
took  their  leave,  feeling  deeply  mortified  as  they  saw  the 
sneering  faces  and  heard  the  bitter  laughter  of  those  about 
them. 

JMeanwhile  Pizarro,  on  the  island  of  Gallo,  had  sent 
back  the  other  vessel  to  Panama,  under  the  pretext  that 
it  required  to  be  repaired.  The  reason  of  his  doing  this 
was  that  he  feared  lest  the  more  mutinous  of  the  men  with 
him  might  seize  the  vessel  secretly  and  thus  deprive  him 
of  all  his  band.  Therefore  he  forestalled  them  by  putting 
aboard  all  the  more  unruly  men,  retaining  only  those 
whom  he  knew  were  either  of  a  like  spirit  with  himself  or 
were  not  deeply  disaffected. 

When  the  vessel  had  gone,  the  little  band  left  with  him, 
together  with  a  few  Indians  whom  they  had  retained, 
found  it  hard  to  provide  food  for  themselves.  They  had 
no  fear  of  the  natives  of  the  island,  for  these  had  fled  to 
the  mainland  when  the  Spaniards  had  taken  possession ; 
but  the  island  was  very  bare  of  shelter  ;  and,  it  being  in 
the  midst  of  the  rainy  season,  storms  of  thunder  and 
lightning,  with  driving  wind  and  drenching  rain,  over- 
whelmed them  daily. 

Thus  exposed  to  the  miseries  caused  by  the  elements, 
and  pinched  by  famine,  all  except  the  stoutest-hearted 
among  them  pined  for  the  comforts  of  Panama,  and  cursed 
the  madness  that  had  made  them  volunteer  for  the 
venture. 

At  length  one  day,  through  the  rain  that  veiled  the 
distant  sea,  their  hearts  leaped  to  see  two  vessels  beating 
do^vn  toward  them  from  the  north.  In  a  little  while  the 
vessels  cast  anchor  in  the  lee  of  the  island,  and  boats  put 

46 


He  traced  a  line   on   the  sand 


46 


The   Faithful  Thirteen 

forth  and  ran  ashore,  laden  with  provisions,  which  the 
famished  men  eagerly  bore  up  from  the  beach.  ^Vhen 
their  hunger  was  appeased,  most  of  them  clamoured  to  go 
on  board  at  once  and  leave  the  detested  island. 

But  Pizarro,  with  three  of  his  intimates,  stood  apart, 
reading  a  letter  which  had  been  handed  to  him  by  Don 
Tafur,  together  with  an  epistle  from  the  governor,  order- 
ing him  to  return  at  once  to  Panama.  Near  by  stood  Don 
Tafur,  waiting  in  silence  for  Pizarro  to  announce  his  sub- 
mission to  the  governor's  commands. 

At  length  Pizarro  turned  to  his  three  friends,  whose 
names  were  Bartholomew  Ruiz,  the  brave  pilot,  Pedro  de 
Candia,  a  Greek,  and  Nicolas  de  Ribera,  his  treasurer. 

"  Friends,"  he  said,  in  a  low  voice,  "  I  have  letters  from 
Almagro  and  Don  Luque.  They  tell  me  to  stay  here,  and 
they  engage  that  in  a  little  while  they  will  furnish  me 
with  ships  and  men  to  go  on  with  our  venture.  To  return 
now,  they  say,  would  ruin  the  expedition  for  ever ;  to 
despair  now  would  seal  us  as  cowards." 

The  three  looked  at  Pizarro  :  they  saw  the  glow  in  his 
eyes,  the  indefinable  stiffening  in  his  carriage,  the  bold 
look  in  his  stem  face.  Then  they  looked  at  one  another 
and  read  their  decision  in  each  other's  eyes. 

By  this  time  the  whole  of  the  forty  or  fifty  men  who 
had  stayed  behind  with  Pizarro  were  ranged  in  a  crowd 
behind  the  governor's  messenger  ;  their  questioning  looks 
were  directed  towards  Pizarro,  and  they  waited. 

Suddenly  Pizarro  advanced  a  few  paces  and  stood  before 
the  assembled  men.  He  drew  his  sword  and  traced  a  line 
on  the  sand,  still  wet  from  the  tide.  The  line  ran  from 
east  to  west. 

"  Friends  and  comrades,"  he  said,  and  lifted  his  head, 
and  the  men  wondered  at  the  ringing  sound  of  his  voice. 

47 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

"  On  that  side,"  he  said,  pointing  to  the  southern  side  of 
the  Hne,  "  are  toil,  hunger,  nakedness,  the  drenching 
storm,  desertion  and  death  ;  on  this  other  side  is  ease, 
plenty  and  pleasure.  There  Hes  Peru  and  its  riches,  here 
are  Panama  and  its  poverty.  Choose,  each  of  you,  what 
best  becomes  a  good  Castihan." 

Saying  these  words,  he  stepped  over  the  hne  and  faced 
the  south.  To  his  side  came  instantly  the  pilot,  Ruiz, 
Pedro  de  Candia  and  de  Ribera.  Then,  from  the  crowd 
about  Don  Tafur,  ten  men  stepped  and  ranged  them- 
selves beside  the  four. 

Thus,  whilst  the  others  looked  on  in  wonder  and  dismay, 
these  fourteen  brave  men,  without  food  and  half  clothed, 
vowed  themselves  to  a  daring  venture  against  a  powerful 
kingdom,  devoting  themselves,  as  their  leader  had  truly 
said,  to  labours  unspeakable,  terrible  hunger,  nakedness, 
desertion  and  death. 

"  But,  sefiores,  this  is  madness  !  "  burst  out  Don  Tafur, 
striding  forward,  "  madness  and  rank  disobedience  to  the 
commands  of  his  Highness." 

"  Nevertheless,  it  is  our  Avill,"  said  Pizarro  quietly, 
"  and  we  will  abide  the  issue." 


48 


CHAPTER   IV 

Marooned 

FOR  some  time  Don  Tafur  tried  all  manner  of  argu- 
ments to  dissuade  Pizarro  and  his  companions 
from  their  resolution  ;  but  it  was  in  vain.  He 
angrily  refused  Pizarro's  request  that  he  should  leave  one 
of  his  vessels  so  that  they  could  continue  their  voyage,  and 
only  with  great  reluctance  did  he  consent  to  leave  some  of 
his  stores  with  them  for  their  use. 

When  at  length  the  others  had  embarked  on  board  the 
ships,  Don  Tafur,  the  last  to  step  into  the  boat,  turned 
and  addressed  Pizarro  and  the  men  with  him. 

"  For  the  last  time,  sefiores,  will  you  come  with  me  and 
leave  this  mad  enterprise  ?  " 

"  We  will  not,"  said  Pizarro,  and  the  others  echoed  his 
words. 

"  Think  you,"  went  on  Don  Tafur,  with  a  sneer,  "  that 
you  are  now  doing  that  which  will  hand  your  names  down 
to  fame — as  the  faithful  thirteen  who  would  not  forsake 
this  expedition  of  mad  visionaries  ?  " 

"  It  may  be,"  said  Pizarro,  "  or  it  may  not  be.  But  for 
myself  I  know  that  never  could  I  be  happy  again  in  life  if 
at  this  time  I  turned  back  from  the  course  I  have  proposed 
to  myself.  Whatever  comes,  be  it  starvation,  miseries  or 
death  in  battle,  I  keep  that  which  is  worth  all  the  pleasures 
of  Panama — the  knowledge  that  I  do  not  despise  myself 
for  a  coward." 

D  49 


The  Conquerors   of  Peru 

"  Tlie  captain  speaks  the  minds  of  all  of  us,"  said  Pedro 
de  Candia.  "  We  think  he  has  a  great  destiny,  even  as 
he  has  shown  he  has  a  great  purpose  and  a  stout  heart. 
We  will  share  his  destiny,  whatever  it  bring." 

Silently  Don  Tafur  doffed  his  hat  and  bowed,  then 
turned  and  entered  the  boat,  and  in  a  little  while  the 
group  on  the  seashore  heard  the  clank  of  the  rising  anchor 
chains,  saw  the  sails  climb  bellying  upon  the  masts,  heard 
the  shouts  of  farewell,  and  looked  with  intent  gaze  as  the 
ships  heeled  before  the  favouring  winds  and  rushed  over 
the  white-flecked  seas.  Soon  they  were  lost  to  view,  and 
then  the  companions  in  constancy  turned  their  eyes  upon 
their  barren  island,  and  began  to  think  in  what  mamier 
they  should  spend  the  waiting  time. 

Ruiz  the  pilot  had  gone  back  with  Don  Tafur  in  order 
to  aid  the  efforts  of  Don  Luque  and  Almagro  in  obtaining 
further  help  for  the  expedition,  and  as  Pizarro  knew  that 
some  time  must  elapse  before  assistance  could  come  to 
them,  he  began  to  set  about  trying  to  better  their  con- 
ditions in  the  inhospitable  spot. 

It  was  found,  however,  that  the  island  was  so  exposed 
to  wind  and  storm  that  it  was  impossible  to  make  it 
habitable.  Moreover,  it  was  thought  that  the  natives 
who  had  forsaken  it  might  get  wind  of  the  fact  that  the 
number  of  Spaniards  was  now  but  small,  and  they  might 
therefore  return  in  overwhelming  numbers  to  regain 
possession. 

In  these  circumstances  Pizarro  thought  of  an  island, 
named  by  the  natives  Gorgona,  which  they  had  touched 
at,  and  which  lay  some  twenty-five  leagues  to  the  north  of 
them.  He  remembered  that  this  was  more  wooded  than 
their  present  abode,  and  therefore  offered  more  shelter. 
He  determined  to  remove  thither,  and  having  acquainted 

50 


Marooned 

his  companions  with  his  decision,  he  got  them,  with  the  aid 
of  the  Indians  who  still  stayed  with  them,  to  construct  a 
raft  from  the  few  trees  which  grew  on  the  island.  When 
this  was  completed  the  whole  of  the  little  company  was 
removed,  with  their  few  stores  and  provisions,  to  the 
island  of  Gorgona. 

They  found  that  this  stood  higher  out  of  the  water,  and 
was  partially  covered  with  wood,  in  the  undergrowth  of 
which  lived  pheasants  and  rabbits.  The  island  was  quite 
uninhabited,  and  lay  about  five  leagues  from  the  mainland. 

There  were  also  numerous  streams,  and  as  the  Spaniards 
had  crossbows  with  them  with  which  to  shoot  the  game, 
they  found  themselves  in  much  better  circumstances  than 
in  the  island  they  had  left. 

To  protect  themselves  from  the  drenching  storms  of 
rain  they  made  rude  huts  on  the  edges  of  the  wood  ;  but 
though  these  sheltered  them  from  the  elements,  they 
also  sheltered  hordes  of  venomous  flies  and  insects  which 
preyed  upon  the  Europeans. 

Week  succeeded  week  in  a  dreary  world  where  there  was 
nothing  to  occupy  men's  minds,  except  the  eternal  watch 
which  they  kept  upon  the  vacant  seas  to  the  north,  looking 
and  longing  for  the  ship  that  was  to  come.  But  Pizarro, 
knowing  that  if  he  were  to  keep  his  men  in  a  sound  con- 
dition he  must  give  them  something  higher  and  better  than 
themselves  to  think  about,  made  it  the  practice  to  omit  no 
service  which  the  Church  enjoined  upon  religious  Catholics. 

Every  morning  and  evening,  therefore,  they  gathered 
together,  and  he  said  the  appropriate  prayers  ;  Fridays  and 
Sundays  were  strictly  observed,  and  the  greater  Church 
festivals  were  made  the  occasion  of  more  elaborate  prayers, 
and,  if  possible,  food  a  little  more  in  quantity  was  supplied 
to  commemorate  the  event.    Thus  was  created  in  the 

51 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

simple  and  rough  minds  of  the  soldiers  a  sense  of  confidence 
in  the  protection  of  Heaven. 

Months  passed.  Each  man  got  to  know  every  inch  of 
their  narrow  island  prison  by  reason  of  the  infinite  times 
which  they  had  traversed  it  from  end  to  end.  Looking  to 
the  north,  the  west  and  the  south,  only  the  illimitable 
fields  of  tumbling  waters  met  their  eye,  merging  distantly 
into  the  sky.  If  they  turned  to  the  east  they  saw  the 
line  of  forest-fringed  coast,  and  behind  the  green  masses 
of  trees,  the  terrors  of  whose  sombre  depths  they  had 
learned,  rose  like  a  giant  jagged  saw  the  line  of  the  Andes, 
their  frozen  summits  glooming  to  the  rainclouds,  or 
flashing  pure  and  white  to  the  splendour  of  the  tropic  sun. 

The  wretchedness  of  the  rainy  season  passed,  giving 
place  to  the  sweltering  heats  of  summer,  when  men  pined 
for  cool  shadow  to  shelter  them  from  the  fierce  rays  of  the 
vertical  sun.  But  still  the  tumbling  waste  of  water  to  the 
north  was  unbroken  by  the  sight  of  a  friendly  sail. 

So  keen  and  constant  was  their  watch  that  every  speck 
upon  the  sea  was  noted,  so  that  often,  as  one  strained  his 
eyes  and  saw  a  piece  of  drifting  timber  lift  above  the  wave, 
or  a  mass  of  seaweed  swing  high  on  a  crest  of  foam,  he 
would  cry  out  :  "  A  ship  !  a  ship  !  "  Then  when  others 
ran  to  him,  he  would  point  to  where  he  had  seen  what  he 
thought  was  a  lifting  sail,  until  the  truth  would  at  length 
be  forced  upon  them  that  again  they  had  been  deceived. 
Successive  disappointments  such  as  these,  and  the  tension 
of  long  waiting,  bore  heavily  on  all.  It  seemed  at  times 
as  if  they  were  utterly  deserted  and  forgotten  ;  as  if  they 
would  stay  there  for  all  the  years  of  their  lives,  and  leave 
their  bones  at  length  upon  the  sands  of  their  prison  island. 

When  Don  Tafur  had  reached  Panama  and  reported  to 
the  governor  the  inflexible  resolution  of  Pizarro  and  his 

52 


Marooned 

friends,  Don  Pedro  de  los  Rios  was  enraged  at  what  he 
termed  "  wilful  suicide  "  ;  and  to  the  appeals  of  Don  Luque 
he  at  first  replied  that  never  again  would  he  assist  men 
so  obstinately  bent  upon  their  own  destruction. 

Almost  daily,  however,  Don  Luque  had  an  interview 
with  the  governor,  and  so  tactful  was  the  priest  that 
gradually  he  made  an  impression  on  the  stubborn  heart 
of  Don  Pedro.  He  showed  him  that  even  if  Pizarro  and 
his  friends  were  rash,  it  was  ultimately  in  the  service  of 
the  emperor  and  for  the  glory  of  Spanish  conquest  and 
power.  Further,  he  reminded  the  governor  that,  on 
taking  over  the  government,  he  had  been  expressly 
instructed  to  aid  Pizarro  in  his  enterprise  of  discovery 
towards  the  south.  To  desert  him  now  would  not  only 
be  disobeying  the  orders  of  the  State,  but  it  would  ruin 
the  last  chance  of  success  and  cause  the  deaths  of  Pizarro 
and  his  faithful  adherents. 

For  many  weeks  the  stubborn  mind  of  the  governor 
would  not  be  moved  ;  but  at  length  he  gave  a  reluctant 
consent  that  a  vessel  might  be  despatched  to  the  island, 
but  with  no  more  than  a  sufficiency  of  hands  to  work  her, 
and  with  positive  instructions  to  Pizarro  that  he  should 
return  and  report  to  the  governor  within  six  months. 

Once  having  gained  this  consent,  Don  Luque  and 
Almagro  lost  no  time  in  purchasing  a  small  vessel  ;  but 
still  there  were  weeks  of  delay  while  necessary  stores  and 
provisions  had  to  be  brought  over  the  rough  mountains 
from  Nombre  de  Dios  on  the  other  side  of  the  isthmus. 
It  was  not,  therefore,  until  six  months  had  passed  since 
Almagro's  return  that  he  was  ready  again  to  get  to  sea 
with  succour  for  his  friend. 

When  the  sails  of  the  caravel  rose  over  the  waste  of 
waters  before  the  eyes  of  the  watchers  on  the  little  island, 

53 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

Pizarro  and  his  comrades  could  hardly  believe  that  after 
all  they  had  not  been  forgotten.  Swiftly  the  ship  sailed 
to  the  land,  a  boat  was  put  off,  and  joyful  greetings  were 
exchanged. 

Pizarro  was  disappointed  to  learn  from  Almagro  that 
he  brought  no  recruits  for  the  expedition  ;  but  nevertheless 
he  determined  to  go  forward.  Two  of  his  band  were  too 
ill  to  be  moved,  and  they  were  left  in  the  care  of  some  of 
the  friendly  Indians.  Taking  the  rest  of  his  followers  and 
the  remainder  of  the  Indians,  he  embarked,  and  weighing 
anchor,  bade  farewell  to  the  place  which  had  seen  so  many 
months  of  wretchedness  and  despair. 

Following  the  directions  of  the  natives  with  them,  Ruiz 
put  the  bows  of  the  vessel  straight  towards  the  port  of 
Tumbez,  where,  said  the  Indians,  they  would  be  almost 
at  the  heart  of  the  Land  of  Gold,  of  which  they  had  so  long 
been  in  quest. 

Narrowly  they  held  on  this  course,  touching  at  no  place 
on  the  way.  Both  the  currents  and  the  winds  were  against 
them,  but  the  weather  was  not  severe,  and  though  slow, 
their  voyage  was  not  uncomfortable. 

After  passing  the  point  reached  by  the  old  pilot  on  his 
voyage  of  discovery  they  found  that  the  coast  lost  its 
bold  and  rugged  aspect,  and  now  sloped  gently  down, 
opening  out  into  sandy  plains  with  well-cultivated  fields 
here  and  there.  The  white  dwellings  of  the  natives  shone 
in  the  sunlight,  and  smoke  rose  over  the  distant  landscape 
from  hidden  towns  and  villages. 

At  length,  rounding  a  point  of  wooded  land,  a  sight  of 
majesty  and  beauty  burst  on  their  view.  The  ship  glided 
smoothly  into  the  quiet  waters  of  a  great  gulf.  The  shore 
that  met  the  sea  was  a  narrow  strip  of  emerald  green, 
studded  with  little  towns  and  villages  ;  and  behind  them, 

54 


Marooned 

rising  sharply  from  the  fertile  plain,  the  great  cordilleras 
lay,  their  sides  clothed  here  and  there  with  rugged  woods, 
but  in  places  smiling  with  terraced  fields  of  Indian  maize 
or  potatoes. 

Still  farther  beyond  rose  the  titanic  flanks  of  the  Andes, 
lifting  far  into  the  blue  of  the  sky,  the  steep  and  jagged 
sides  bare  with  dark  rock,  or  flashing  now  and  then  as  the 
sun  caught  the  ice  of  the  glaciers  that  crept  down  the  sides. 
Higher  still  above  the  ridge  of  the  mountain  range  rose 
two  great  giants — Chimborazo,  with  its  broad,  round 
summit,  and  Cotopaxi,  with  its  dazzling  cone  of  silvery 
white. 

At  length,  following  the  directions  of  the  Indians,  the 
Spaniards  came  to  anchor  off  an  uninhabited  island,  which 
lay  at  the  mouth  of  the  bay  of  Tumbez. 

Next  morning  they  sailed  across  the  bay  for  the  city. 
As  they  drew  near,  they  beheld  a  town  of  large  size,  with 
many  buildings  of  stone  and  plaster.  It  stood  amidst 
leafy  trees,  and  round  about  it  was  meadowland,  rich 
with  crops  and  herbage. 

Several  large  native  rafts,  filled  with  men,  were  sailing 
out  of  the  harbour ;  and  the  Indians  who  were  with  the 
Spaniards  hailed  them.  They  learned  that  they  were 
warriors  who  were  setting  out  to  attack  an  island  near  by. 
Pizarro,  through  his  interpreters,  invited  some  of  the  chiefs 
to  come  aboard.  The  Peruvians  looked  with  wonder  on 
everything  which  met  their  gaze  in  the  ship  ;  and  especially 
did  they  marvel  at  finding  some  of  their  countrymen  with 
the  white  strangers. 

The  Spanish  leader  persuaded  the  Peruvian  chiefs  to 
return  to  the  town  and  report  what  they  had  learned. 
This  they  did,  and  as  the  Spaniards  let  go  their  anchor, 
and  prepared  to  lie  at  their  moorings,  they  saw  the  people 

55 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

flocking  to  the  waterside  in  crowds,  as  the  news  of  the 
arrival  of  the  wonderful  strangers  spread  through  the  town. 

In  a  little  while  a  huge  native  raft,  or  balsa,  set  off  from 
the  shore  and  approached  the  ship.  It  was  laden  with 
bananas,  plantains,  yucca,  Indian  com,  sweet  potatoes, 
pineapples,  cocoa-nuts  and  other  rich  products  of  the  land  ; 
together  with  game  and  fish,  and  several  llamas,  a  strange 
beast  from  which  the  Peruvians  procured  their  fabrics  for 
clothing,  and  which  the  Spaniards  had  heard  of  but  had 
never  before  seen. 

With  these  there  also  came  a  man  in  rich  clothes,  with 
heavy  gold  ornaments  in  his  ears,  whom  the  other  natives 
treated  with  great  deference.  He  was  an  Inca  noble,  one 
of  the  royal  and  sacred  family  of  the  kings,  and  Pizarro 
received  him  with  great  distinction.  The  noble  was  shown 
all  over  the  vessel,  and  his  numerous  questions  concerning 
the  uses  of  the  various  things  he  saw  were  answered  as 
well  as  they  could  be,  through  the  Indian  interpreters. 

When  the  Inca  chief  had  gone  over  the  whole  of  the 
ship,  he  asked  : 

"  Why  is  it,  seeing  that  the  white  men  are  so  rich  and 
so  abundantly  provided  with  all  things  for  their  comfort — 
why  is  it  that  they  have  come  to  the  land  of  the  Incas  ?  " 

"  Because,"  replied  Pizarro,  "  my  master  is  a  great 
prince,  the  greatest  and  most  powerful  in  all  the  world, 
and  I  have  come  hither  to  discover  new  lands  for  him,  so 
that  he  may  assert  his  supremacy  over  all  regions  which 
have  hitherto  been  unknown.  Moreover,  it  is  my  prince's 
desire,"  went  on  Pizarro,  "  to  bring  a  knowledge  of  the 
true  religion  to  those  people  who  are  sunk  in  heathenism. 
I  will  tell  them  of  the  true  and  only  God,  in  whom  to 
believe  will  save  their  immortal  souls  from  eternal  per- 
dition." 

56 


Marooned 

The  Inca  chieftain  Hstened  with  deep  attention,  but  it 
is  to  be  doubted  whether  he  understood  much  of  what  was 
said.  He  bowed  and  rephed  nothing.  When,  after  he  had 
eaten  dinner  with  the  Spaniards,  he  took  his  leave,  he 
invited  Pizarro  to  come  on  shore  and  see  the  town  when 
he  chose.  The  Spanish  leader  gave  him  several  presents, 
among  them  being  an  iron  hatchet,  which  the  Inca  chief 
had  greatly  admired,  for  iron  was  unknown  to  the 
Peruvians,  their  weapons  being  of  bronze. 

Next  day  Pizarro  sent  one  of  his  comrades  ashore, 
Alonso  de  Molina,  together  with  a  negro,  one  of  the  crew. 
They  took  with  them  a  present  of  live  swine  and  poultry 
for  the  chief  magistrate  of  the  city,  whom  the  Peruvians 
called  a  curaca.  When,  in  the  evening,  Molina  returned 
with  more  fruit  and  vegetables,  all  the  Spaniards  gathered 
around  him,  and  his  tale  was  wondrous  to  hear. 

"  When  I  landed,"  said  the  Spanish  cavalier,  "  the 
Indians  crowded  about  me,  all  very  friendly,  but  seemingly 
astonished.  They  touched  my  face,  felt  my  beard,  and 
handled  my  dress.  But  I  think  they  were  still  more 
astonished  at  Pedro  here,"  pointing  to  the  negro,  whose 
black  face  shone  with  good  humour,  "  for  one  of  them 
rubbed  his  face  with  a  hand  and  looked  to  see  if  the  black 
came  off.  And  when  the  black  grinned  at  them,  they 
jumped  about  him  with  merriment.  Then  suddenly  the 
cock  which  Pedro  had  put  on  the  ground  in  its  cage  began 
to  crow.  All  the  chatter  of  the  natives  suddenly  ceased, 
and  some  jumped  away.  Then  they  clapped  their  hands 
^\^th  glee  and  asked  what  the  bird  was  saying." 

"  Yes,  yes,"  said  one  of  his  comrades,  "  but  what  saw  you 
of  the  town,  Alonso  ?  Saw  you  aught  of  treasure  or  fine 
raiment  ?  " 

"  Wait  and  I  will  tell  you,"  replied  Molina.     "  When 

57 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

they  had  got  over  their  first  surprise,  the  natives  con- 
ducted me  to  the  dwelling  of  their  chief  man  or  curaca. 
His  house  is  made  of  stone  ;  porters  stand  at  his  doors,  his 
floors  are  covered  with  rich  carpets,  and  the  dishes  and 
cups  upon  his  table  are  of  gold  and  silver,  for  when  I  was 
taken  to  him  he  was  at  dinner.  He  asked  me  to  dine  with 
him,  and  very  delicate  was  the  food  we  had.  Afterwards 
he  took  me  through  the  city,  where  I  saw  many  fine  houses, 
and  a  fortress  built  very  strongly  of  stone.  It  was  wide 
and  big  and  of  very  fine  work,  and  was  made  by  the  Incas, 
who  are  kings  of  Cuzco,  a  golden  city  far  inland,  and 
lords  of  all  Peru.  Near  by  this  is  a  temple,  where  they 
took  me  ;  and  never  saw  I  so  much  gold  and  silver  in  one 
place  before,  nor  have  I  ever  dreamed  that  so  much  could 
be  in  one  place.  There  were  figures  of  pure  gold,  as  of 
gods,  and  altars  of  silver  before  each  ;  the  walls  are  of 
sheets  of  gold,  and  a  rich  cornice  runs  round  the  chief 
chamber,  of  solid  gold,  richly  worked." 

"  Of  a  truth,"  said  one,  with  a  laugh,  "  you  say  naught 
of  the  wine  they  make,  of  which  you  must  have  drunk 
deep  to  tell  us  such  tales." 

"  But  I  speak  naught  but  the  truth,"  said  Molina,  "  of 
things  I  saw  with  my  own  eyes." 

In  spite  of  his  assertions  most  of  his  fellows  doubted  his 
tale,  which  seemed  no  more  than  a  dream  of  extravagant 
fancies. 

Next  day,  therefore,  Pizarro  sent  Pedro  de  Candia,  the 
Greek  cavalier,  to  visit  the  curaca  and  to  see  if  Molina's 
tale  were  true.  Candia  was  dressed  in  complete  mail,  and 
bore  his  sword  by  his  side  and  his  harquebus  on  his 
shoulder.  As  the  sun  flashed  from  his  armour  and  dazzled 
from  the  headpiece,  the  simple  Indians  looked  upon  him 
almost  as  a  god. 

58 


Marooned 

They  begged  him  to  "  let  his  harquebus  speak,"  for 
they  had  heard  wondrous  tales  of  it  from  their  country- 
men who  had  come  with  the  Spaniards,  and  Candia,  setting 
up  a  wooden  board  as  a  target,  fired  his  musket,  splintering 
the  board  to  pieces.  The  flash  of  the  powder,  the  loud 
report,  and  the  inability  to  see  what  had  caused  the  board 
to  break  filled  the  natives  with  awe.  Some  fled,  others 
fell  to  the  ground,  covering  their  faces  with  their  hands, 
while  others  approached  him  with  humble  gestures  of 
awe.  Only  when  the  cavalier  smiled  did  the  Peruvians 
recover  their  spirits. 

Then  they  showed  him  about  the  town.  The  fortress, 
he  found,  was  protected  by  triple  rows  of  walls,  and  was 
strongly  garrisoned.  The  temple,  also,  with  its  interior 
walls  hung  with  plates  of  gold  and  silver,  and  its  idols 
made  of  gold,  was  exactly  as  Molina  had  described.  He 
saw  also  a  kind  of  convent  beside  the  temple,  where,  he  was 
told,  the  Virgins  of  the  Sun  were  lodged.  He  was  not 
permitted  to  enter  this,  but  in  the  gardens  of  the  convent 
he  saw  many  figures  of  fniits  and  vegetables,  which  were 
made  of  gold  and  silver,  beautifully  worked. 

When  Candia  returned  to  the  ship  and  corroborated 
all  that  Molina  had  said,  the  Spaniards  were  jubilant. 
It  seemed  that  now  indeed  all  their  dreams  were  to  be 
realized,  and  those  who  had  mocked  them  as  visionaries 
would  now  be  mocked  in  their  turn. 

"  I  give  thanks  to  Heaven,"  said  Pizarro,  "  that  now  our 
constancy  and  our  faith  are  to  be  rewarded  ;  but  bitterly 
do  I  lament  the  timidity  of  our  enemies  who  have  de- 
prived me  of  followers  sufficient  in  number  to  enable  us 
to  conquer  these  lands  and  their  wealth  for  the  glory  of 
our  master  the  emperor." 

Pizarro  saw  that  it  was  idle  to  attempt  anything  in  the 

59 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

way  of  conquest  with  the  insignificant  force  at  his  dis- 
posal ;  and  therefore,  having  learnt  all  he  could,  be  pre- 
pared to  depart.  He  promised  the  natives  of  Tumbez 
that  he  would  return  before  long,  and  then,  weighing 
anchor,  he  turned  his  prow  towards  the  south. 

Pursuing  his  way  along  the  coast,  he  touched  at  various 
places,  and  at  each  he  was  received  with  hospitality  by 
the  natives,  who  seemed  milder  and  more  gentle  than 
those  of  the  north,  whom  the  Spaniards  had  met  with  in 
their  former  expeditions. 

At  every  stopping-place  he  heard  the  same  accounts  of 
a  rich  and  powerful  monarch,  lord  of  all  these  lands,  who 
lived  inland  beyond  the  mountains  in  a  city  whose  treasures 
of  gold  and  silver  were  incalculable  ;  but  in  no  place  did 
they  find  such  evidences  of  wealth  as  in  Tumbez. 

At  length  Pizarro  reached  the  mouth  of  a  broad  and 
beautiful  stream  flowing  through  a  country  which  was 
covered  with  arid  sands.  Having  landed,  the  Spaniards 
found  that  for  miles  the  land  was  nothing  but  a  great 
cemetery,  where  mummies  were  buried  in  clefts  and  holes 
in  the  hills,  and  the  soil  was  covered  with  the  scattered 
bones  of  ancient  dead. 

When  they  had  reached  this  point  his  followers  besought 
Pizarro  not  to  go  farther  into  the  unknown  seas. 

"  Surely,"  said  they,  "  we  have  learned  enough  and 
more  than  enough  to  prove  not  only  the  existence,  but  to 
prepare  a  map  of  the  actual  position  of  this  great  and 
wealthy  empire.  As  it  is,  however,  we  have  no  power  to 
profit  by  our  discovery.  Would  it  not  be  wise,  therefore, 
to  return  and  report  the  success  of  our  expedition  ?  " 

After  discussion  with  his  chief  associates,  Pizarro  agreed 
that  it  was  reasonable  that  they  should  return,  "  seeing 
that  now,"  he  said,  "  we,  who  departed  under  a  cloud,  the 

60 


Marooned 

scorn  and  mock  of  every  timid  fool,  can  now  return  in 
triumph." 

Instantly,  therefore,  the  ship  put  about  and  stood  for  the 
north,  after  having  sailed  into  a  sea  which  had  never  before 
been  entered  by  a  European  ship.  Favouring  breezes 
followed  all  the  way  back  to  Tumbez,  where  they  again 
cast  anchor. 

The  friendly  intercourse  with  the  natives  was  resumed, 
and  the  town  wore  so  comfortable  an  air,  and  the  in- 
habitants seemed  so  kindly  that  Alonso  de  Molina,  who 
had  landed  on  the  previous  visit,  went  to  Pizarro  and  begged 
that  he  might  be  left  behind,  to  live  with  the  Peruvians. 

"  I  have  no  wish,"  he  said,  "  to  go  back  to  Panama, 
where  duns  and  creditors  will  harass  the  life  out  of  my 
body.  Let  me  stay  here,  captain.  The  natives  are  kindly 
people,  and  until  you  return  I  can  learn  their  language 
and  their  ways,  and  so  be  of  great  use  to  you  when  you 
come  with  force  enough  to  conquer  the  land." 

"  Let  me  also  stay  with  Molina,"  said  another  cavalier, 
a  close  friend  of  Molina's.  "  Together  we  could  do  much 
to  prepare  your  way  when  you  shall  return." 

"  Your  lives  will  be  in  your  own  hands,  my  men,"  said 
Pizarro.  "  If  you  stay,  you  must  be  wary,  lest  you  excite 
suspicions.  Be  not  over  bold  or  insolent,  learn  their 
tongue  and  their  ways,  and  when  we  return,  you  will  be 
useful  to  us." 

In  great  glee  the  two  men  hastily  collected  their  meagre 
baggage  and  put  off  in  the  boat  and  were  rowed  ashore, 
where  they  were  made  hugely  welcome  by  the  delighted 
and  simple  natives. 

By  the  aid  of  his  own  Indians,  Pizarro  had  got  the  chief 
or  curaca  of  the  place  to  permit  him  to  take  on  board  two 
intelligent  young  natives  of  Tumbez,  on  promising  to 

6i 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

bring  them  back  safely.  This  was  done  in  order  that  they 
should  see  the  cities  and  learn  the  power  of  the  white  men, 
so  as  to  report  on  these  matters  when  they  returned.  One 
of  these  natives  of  Tumbez was  a  youth  whom  the  Spaniards 
called  Felipillo,  or  little  Philip,  who  quickly  adapted  him- 
self to  the  ways  of  bis  European  friends,  and  learned  to 
speak  Castilian.  The  other  was  named  Martinillo,  or 
little  Martin,  and  was  almost  equally  quick. 

From  Tumbez,  Pizarro  sailed  direct  to  Panama,  only 
touching  at  the  island  of  Gorgona,  to  pick  up  the  sur- 
vivor of  the  two  men  whom  he  had  left  there  in  ill-health. 
After  an  absence  of  eighteen  months,  the  little  band  of 
hardy  adventurers  again  saw  the  familiar  plaza  of  Panama, 
with  the  lions  of  Castile  on  the  silken  banner  which  waved 
over  the  governor's  quarters  ;  and  as  soon  as  loungers  on 
the  waterside  caught  sight  of  the  vessel,  the  cheer  that 
arose  gave  Pizarro  and  his  men  a  foretaste  of  the  triumph 
they  were  to  enjoy  now  that  they  had  come  home  again. 

There  is  little  need  to  describe  the  wonder,  the  joy  and 
the  admiration  of  their  friends  as,  leaping  ashore,  they 
clasped  the  hands  held  out  to  them  and  tried  to  answer 
the  eager  questions  which  came  to  them.  It  was  with 
proud  satisfaction  that  the  band  of  ten  adventurers 
walked  toward  the  town,  surrounded  by  friends  and  by 
those  who,  having  previously  laughed  at  them,  now  con- 
gratulated them. 

"  Every  tale  that  we  have  ever  told  ye,"  said  Almagro, 
hearty  and  generous  as  was  his  wont,  "we  now  repeat  to 
you.  We  have  seen  the  length  of  the  golden  land — our 
own  eyes  have  looked  at  the  gold  and  the  silver  in  its 
temples,  and  have  seen  the  golden  vessels  out  of  which 
their  lords  cat.  Now,  ye  doubting  Thomases,  never  mock 
us  again.     You  thought  we  dreamed  vain  dreams,  or, 

62 


Marooned 

worse,  that  we  were  cheats  and  cozeners,  and  when  we 
staked  our  lives  upon  our  ventures,  you  called  us  madmen. 
This  is  our  hour,  my  friends — the  hour  of  our  slow,  hardly 
earned  triumph." 

Next  day,  full  of  the  conviction  that  now,  after  seeing 
the  proofs  of  the  truth  of  their  magnificent  discoveries, 
the  governor  would  give  every  aid  to  their  further  efforts, 
Pizarro,  Almagro  and  Don  Luque  craved  audience  of  Don 
Pedro  de  los  Rios,  who  instantly  received  them. 

Pizarro  gave  an  account  of  their  voyage,  and  in  proof  of 
what  he  related,  he  produced  gold  and  silver  ornaments 
which  he  had  bartered  from  the  natives,  and  brought 
forward  the  llamas,  or  native  Peruvian  sheep,  from  whose 
hairy  covering  the  Indians  of  Peru  manufactured  their 
beautiful  and  delicate  garments.  He  also  showed  the 
governor  the  Indians  whom  he  had  brought  with  him 
from  Tumbez,  and  related  all  that  they  had  told  him  of  the 
riches  of  the  king  who  dwelt  at  an  inland  city  of  Peru 
and  was  called  the  "  Child  of  the  Sun." 

When  Pizarro  had  finished,  Don  Luque  began  an  appeal 
for  the  governor's  patronage  and  assistance  in  carrying 
on  a  venture  which  was  too  great  a  one  for  their  own  un- 
aided resources. 

"I  make  this  appeal  to  your  Excellency,"  said  the  priest, 
"  with  every  confidence  that  you  will  grant  us  the  favour 
of  your  protection  and  grace.  The  reality  and  vastness  of 
the  riches,  both  in  treasure  and  territory,  which  we  have 
in  view  to  gain  for  the  glory  of  Spain,  have  been  proved 
to  your  Highness.  May  we  hope,  senor,  that  you  will 
make  it  publicly  known  that  in  our  endeavours  to  enlist 
aid  and  to  enrol  volunteers,  we  have  your  favour  ?  " 

The  governor  had  listened  throughout  with  a  cold  face, 
and  now,  with  a  gloomy  brow,  he  replied  : 

63 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

"  I  see  no  reason  why  I  should  give  you  what  you  desire. 
You  must  do  what  you  may  without  me.  Do  you  think  I 
have  any  desire  to  build  up  other  states  by  the  depopula- 
tion of  my  own  ?  Why  should  I  be  so  great  a  fool  ? 
Furthermore,  I  will  not  allow  you  to  throw  away  any 
more  lives.  More  than  enough  have  already  been  sacri- 
ficed to  gain  this  cheap  display  of  gold  and  silver,  and  to 
capture  a  few  Indian  sheep  1  " 

Saying  these  words,  the  governor  rose  and  left  the 
chamber,  thus  cutting  short  all  attempts  at  further  appeal. 

The  three  associates  looked  at  each  other  in  consterna- 
tion. Then  Almagro,  with  a  bitter  oath,  turned  and  strode 
from  the  apartment,  followed  by  Pizarro  and  Don  Luque. 
They  went  to  the  latter's  lodging,  and  as  soon  as  their 
anger,  perplexity  and  astonishment  could  allow  them, 
they  began  to  consider  what  they  could  do,  by  their  own 
unaided  efforts,  to  make  up  an  expedition. 

"  Ah,  the  jealous,  petty  soul  !  "  cried  Almagro.  "  It 
was  spite  that  made  him  speak  so.  To  find  that  those  he 
had  branded  as  madmen  or  cheats  had  made  their  words 
good — to  find  that  they  who  had  been  penniless  had 
returned  with  a  key  to  treasures  of  gold  that  he  could  never 
touch — that  it  was  which  made  his  mean  heart  turn 
against  us  !  " 

"  It  is  idle  to  rail,  Almagro,"  said  Pizarro,  his  pale  face 
more  pallid  still,  his  eyes  hard  and  full  of  gloom.  "  What 
we  must  do  now  is  to  think  out  a  way  to  circumvent 
him,  to  use  him  against  his  will,  work  upon  his  love  of 
power  or  of  gold  in  some  way." 

"  Not  I,"  said  Almagro  ;  "  never  more  will  I  make  part 
in  begging  of  that  womanish  soul." 

"  But  it  must  be  done,"  returned  Pizarro.  "  In  no  other 
way  can  we  get  the  loan  of  a  peso,  enlist  a  volunteer  or 

64 


Marooned 

move  a  ship.  We  are  at  the  very  grasp  of  all  we  ever 
hoped  to  find  ;  to  stop  now  would  be  to  abandon,  for 
someone  else's  gain,  the  rich  land  of  treasure  which 
our  own  constancy  and  perseverance  have  discovered. 
Would  you  leave  open  to  others  the  wealth  which  is 
yours  ?  " 

"  But,  man,  what's  to  be  done  ?  "  cried  Almagro,  in- 
dignant and  perplexed.  "  Must  we  spend  weary  months 
trying  to  persuade  the  governor  ?  " 

"  Listen,  my  children,"  interrupted  the  priest,  who, 
walking  moodily  up  and  down  the  room,  had  said  nothing 
hitherto  ;  "  there  is  but  one  authority  which  will  favour 
us — ^which  must  favour  us.  It  is  the  Crown  itself.  It  is 
for  our  emperor  that  the  discovery  has  been  made,  and 
for  him  again  and  his  glory  will  you  conquer  what  you 
have  discovered.  We  must  go,  one  of  us,  to  Spain,  and 
lay  this  matter  before  his  Gracious  Majesty,  the  Emperor 
Charles  !  " 

"  By  my  faith,  but  the  priest  hits  it  !  "  cried  Almagro, 
and  struck  the  table  with  a  great  blow  of  his  fist.  "  And 
who  do  you  suggest  should  go  ?  "  he  demanded.  "  'Tis  a 
delicate  matter,  yet  one  that  needs  a  man." 

"  The  Licentiate  Corral,  a  prudent  and  wise  lawyer,  is 
about  to  go  to  Spain,"  said  Luque.     "  In  his  hands " 

"  A  lawyer  !  "  cried  Almagro  in  disgust.  "  No  ;  a 
thousand  times  no.  He  has  not  the  matter  at  his  heart. 
There  is  the  man  to  go — Francisco  Pizarro.  He  has  been 
through  all  that  he  will  have  to  tell,  he  is  cool  and  cautious, 
prudent  yet  bold.  Pizarro,  you  are  the  man  to  do  this. 
Your  head  will  not  be  turned  by  the  splendours  of  Court, 
nor  your  heart  moved  by  the  crooked  words  of  courtiers 
and  other  functionaries.  You  must  go,  lad,  or  we  are  all 
lost.  " 

E  65 


The   Conquerors  of  Peru 

Tlie  pale  face  of  Pizarro  flushed  faintly  and  his  dark 
eyes  glowed. 

"  I  will  go,"  he  said,  "  if  that  is  the  wish  of  you  both. 
But,  by  the  Virgin,  I  would  rather  face  the  miseries  of  the 
wilderness  !  " 

"  You  must  go,"  reiterated  Almagro.  "  No  one  could 
do  our  business  so  well." 

"  Wliat  do  you  say,  father  ?  "  asked  Pizarro  of  the 
priest. 

"  God  grant,  my  children,"  said  the  priest,  "  that  one  of 
you  does  not  cheat  the  other  of  his  benefits.  I  should  be 
more  at  ease  if  you  went  together." 

"  Not  I !  "  cried  Almagro.  "  I  should  be  like  a  boar  in 
a  hen-roost.  And  Pizarro  will  be  true  to  us  all,  I  doubt 
not." 

"  I  think,"  said  Pizarro  coldly,  "  that  as  I  have  never 
tried  to  cheat  either  of  you  hitherto,  I  shall  not  defraud 
you  in  this." 

It  was  settled,  therefore,  that  Pizarro  should  go  to 
Spain  to  beseech  the  favour  and  assistance  of  the  Court 
itself. 

When  all  preparations  were  ready,  he  bade  adieu  to 
Panama,  and,  accompanied  by  Pedro  de  Candia,  the  Greek 
cavalier,  took  the  road  over  the  mountains  to  Nombre  de 
Dios,  where  he  would  take  ship  to  Spam.  With  him,  also, 
as  proofs  of  the  wonderful  story  he  had  to  tell,  he  took 
some  of  the  Peruvian  natives,  two  or  three  llamas,  various 
delicate  fabrics  of  cloth,  and  many  ornaments  and  vases  of 
gold  and  silver. 


66 


CHAPTER    V 

At  the  Door  of  the  Land  of  Gold 

THE  news  that  Pizarro,  the  man  who  had  discovered 
another  kingdom,  richer  even  than  the  land  of  the 
Aztecs,  was  coming  to  Spain  had  preceded  the 
adventurer  by  vessels  that  had  sailed  from  Nombre  de 
Dios  before  he  set  out.  The  soldier  felt  certain  that  he 
would  be  welcomed  for  the  sake  of  his  news,  and  that  the 
aid  which  he  and  his  associates  desired  would  be  granted 
by  the  government. 

It  was,  therefore,  with  some  emotion  that,  as  the  vessel 
sailed  into  the  harbour  of  Seville,  he  looked  again  upon 
the  land  which  he  had  not  seen  for  twenty  years,  when  he 
left  the  country  a  poor,  obscure  soldier. 

As  he  stepped  upon  the  quay,  where  many  had  gathered 
at  the  news  of  his  approach,  his  mind  glowed  with  warm 
feelings  for  his  country.  Suddenly  a  man  in  official 
garb  stepped  forth  from  the  crowd,  and  stood  before 
Pizarro. 

"  Are  you  Francisco  Pizarro  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  I  am,"  replied  the  soldier. 

"  Then  I  arrest  you  in  the  name  of  the  law,"  was  the 
reply,  and  at  a  gesture  from  the  stranger  two  armed  men 
placed  themselves  beside  Pizarro. 

The  soldier's  face  went  pale.  This,  then,  was  the  open- 
ing of  those  brilliant  fortunes  for  which  he  had  had  such 
hopes  from  his  native  land. 

67 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

"  At  whose  command  and  for  what  reason  am  I 
arrested  ?  "  asked  Pizarro. 

"  You  are  a  citizen  of  Panama,"  was  the  reply.  "  The 
Bachelor  Enciso  has  a  claim  against  that  city  for  money 
advanced,  and  you  are  to  be  held  in  durance  until  his  claim 
is  paid." 

At  the  injustice  of  this  proceeding  some  of  the  citizens 
assembled  there  began  to  murmur. 

"  You  may  be  right  in  law.  Master  Sheriff,"  said  one 
man,  a  richly  dressed  merchant  ;  "  but  this  Senor 
Pizarro  comes  hither  on  a  great  mission,  and  I  doubt 
but  your  master,  Enciso,  will  smart  for  this  high-handed 
proceeding." 

"  Senor,"  said  the  officer  haughtily,  "  my  master  does 
but  what  the  law  allows,  and  desires  no  countenance  from 
you  !  " 

Depression  and  despair  settled  upon  Pizarro  when,  a 
few  hours  later,  he  found  himself  caged  between  the  four 
dark  walls  of  a  prison  cell.  He  had  no  hope  that  anyone 
would  move  in  his  behalf,  seeing  that  he  knew  no  person  in 
authority,  and  that  it  was  to  nobody's  interest  that  he 
should  be  released. 

Nevertheless,  his  comrade,  Candia,  was  not  idle,  and 
stirred  up  the  indignation  of  the  citizens  of  Seville,  which 
was  already  aroused.  The  result  was  that  some  of  the 
chief  men  sent  word  of  Pizarro's  imprisonment  to  the 
Court  at  Toledo.  No  sooner  did  the  high  officials  there 
learn  of  Pizarro's  mission  than  orders  went  out  at  once 
for  the  release  of  the  soldier,  together  with  the  command 
that  he  should  proceed  to  the  emperor  at  once. 

A  few  days,  therefore,  found  Pizarro  in  the  brilliant 
surroundings  of  the  Court  of  that  great  monarch,  Charles 
the  Fifth,  conqueror  of  France,  Emperor  of  Germany,  the 

68 


Depression    and    despair  settled  upon  Pizarro 


68 


At  the  Door  of  the  Land  of  Gold 

man  in  whose  hands  rested  at  that  time  the  destinies  of 
every  European  kingdom  except  Great  Britain. 

Far  from  being  embarrassed  by  the  magnificence  he  saw 
around  him,  Pizarro  kept  his  usual  self-possession,  and 
showed  a  dignity  which  was  native  to  the  Castilian  with 
good  blood  in  his  veins.  The  emperor  received  him 
among  his  chief  statesmen,  and  examined  with  great 
interest  the  things  which  Pizarro  had  brought,  asking 
many  questions  as  he  did  so. 

When  Pizarro  began,  at  the  emperor's  command,  the 
narration  of  his  adventures  by  sea  and  land,  in  peril  by 
storm,  by  Lidians  and  by  starvation,  all  who  heard  him 
were  moved  by  his  earnestness  and  eloquence.  All 
realized  that  this  man  had  really  gone  through  the  toil  and 
suffering  he  described  ;  and  finally,  when  he  described 
his  lonely  condition  on  Gorgona,  abandoned  by  the 
government  at  Panama,  deserted  by  all  save  a  small 
band  of  faithful  men,  watching  the  sea  every  hour  for 
the  aid  they  almost  despaired  of,  the  emperor,  a  man 
who  was  rarely  moved,  was  affected  to  tears. 

"  Truly,"  said  the  emperor,  when  the  tale  was  told, 
"  you  have  shown  the  unconquerable  spirit  which  is  only 
whetted  the  more  by  the  difficulties  which  oppose  it. 
You  deserve  well  of  me,  and  I  will  commend  you  and 
your  affairs,  so  that  all  you  desire  shall  be  granted  to 
you." 

Notwithstanding  the  emperor's  recommendation,  Pizarro 
found  that  his  affairs  made  but  slow  progress.  It  was  not 
until  a  year  later,  indeed,  that  the  document  which  granted 
him  certain  powers  and  privileges  in  the  country  which  he 
was  to  conquer  was  granted  to  him.  By  this  instrument 
he  was  to  receive  the  titles  and  rank  of  Governor  and 
Captain-General,  Adelantado  and  Alguacil  Mayor  of  the 

69 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

province,  and  to  have  a  salary  of  seven  hundred  and 
twenty-five  thousand  maravedis. 

By  the  same  document  Almagro  was  declared  to  be 
commander  of  the  fortress  of  Tumbez,  with  the  rank  of 
hidalgo,  and  an  annual  salary  of  three  hundred  thousand 
maravedis.  Ruiz,  the  pilot,  was  created  Grand  Pilot  of  the 
Southern  Ocean ;  Candia  was  named  Chief  of  Artillerj%  and 
Don  Luque  was  named  Bishop  of  Tumbez.  The  survivors 
of  the  companions  on  the  desolate  island  were  also  granted 
certain  titles. 

These,  however,  were  all  empty  honours  until  the  land 
had  been  conquered,  and  the  government,  while  claiming 
a  fifth  of  all  treasures  and  revenues  of  the  Land  of  Gold, 
contributed  nothing  toward  the  costs  of  the  expedition, 
except  a  little  money  towards  the  purchase  of  artillery  and 
military  stores. 

Pizarro  went  to  his  native  town  of  Truxillo  in  Estre- 
madura,  where  his  boyhood  and  youth  had  been  spent, 
and  endeavoured  to  get  volunteers  for  his  venture.  But 
the  response  was  meagre.  Four  of  his  brothers,  however, 
volunteered,  all  of  them  poor,  and  all  proud  ;  but  all  were 
eager  to  share  Pizarro 's  fortunes  now  that  there  was 
prospect  of  gain. 

With  the  aid  of  Hernando  Cortes,  the  conqueror  of 
Mexico,  and  others  interested  in  the  venture,  Pizarro  got 
together  three  ships  and  some  soldiers,  and  with  his 
brothers  sailed  from  Spain  in  January  1530,  having  spent 
nearly  two  years  on  his  mission. 

News  of  the  success  of  his  efforts  had  preceded  him,  and 
when  he  cast  anchor  in  the  harbour  of  Nombre  de  Dios, 
Don  Luque  and  Almagro  were  on  shore  to  meet  him. 
When  Almagro  heard  from  his  confederate  how  all  the 
highest  ranks  and  titles  had  been  given  to  Pizarro,  he  was 

70 


At  the  Door  of  the  Land  of  Gold 

filled  with  anger,  for  he  had  asked  his  friend  to  procure 
for  him  the  office  of  Adelantado.  Almagro  reproached 
him  with  his  perfidy,  seeing  that  Pizarro  had  promised 
to  provide  for  his  comrade's  interests  as  faithfully  as  for 
his  own.  Pizarro  excused  himself  by  saying  that,  in  spite 
of  his  efforts,  the  authorities  had  refused  to  give  the  title 
of  Adelantado  to  another  person,  because  civil  war  had 
lately  occurred  in  a  colony  o^\^ng  to  the  rivalries  of  officers 
of  nearly  equal  rank. 

It  looked  almost  as  if  a  final  rupture  would  take  place 
between  Pizarro  and  Almagro  ;  but  their  friends  patched 
up  the  quarrel,  and,  returning  to  Panama,  the  two  leaders 
set  about  preparing  for  their  expedition  to  the  south. 

The  number  of  Pizarro's  force  did  not  exceed  a  hundred 
and  eighty  men,  with  twenty-seven  horses  for  the  cavalry. 
Five  priests  also  accompanied  the  little  band,  and  after  a 
solemn  service  held  in  the  church  of  Panama,  the  men 
went  on  board  three  vessels  which  had  been  obtained, 
and  early  in  January  1531  the  squadron  set  sail  for  the 
conquest  of  Peru.  Almagro,  however,  was  to  remain 
behind  for  the  present,  to  order  to  beat  up  reinforcements 
with  which  he  was  to  follow  later. 

Pizarro  intended  to  steer  direct  for  Tumbez,  which  he 
considered  to  be  the  door  to  the  empire  of  the  Incas.  But 
head- winds  and  contrary  currents  opposed  him,  so  that  after 
a  run  of  thirteen  days  Pizarro  came  to  anchor  at  a  point 
about  one  degree  north,  and  here  determined  to  land  and 
to  make  his  way  along  the  coast  to  Tumbez,  while  the 
vessels  held  a  course  parallel  with  the  land. 

After  some  miles  of  an  exhausting  march  through  forests 
soaked  with  the  winter  rains,  and  over  streams  swollen 
to  torrents,  they  at  length  came  upon  a  large  Indian  village, 
which  they  rushed,  the  natives  flying  before  them  into 

71 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

the  forest,  too  terrified  to  attempt  to  hide  any  of  their 
valuables. 

Tlie  Spaniards  in  their  hungry  condition  made  it  their 
first  business  to  seek  for  food,  of  which  they  found  an 
abundance  ;  and  then  they  searched  for  gold,  and  found 
a  rich  treasure  in  the  huts.  There  was  a  large  quantity  of 
gold  and  silver  worked  into  clumsy  ornaments,  besides 
a  quantity  of  precious  stones,  especially  emeralds. 

The  wealth  thus  rifled  from  the  houses  of  the  natives 
was  brought  to  a  heap,  from  which  a  fifth  was  deducted 
for  the  CroAvn,  and  Pizarro  then  distributed  the  remainder 
in  due  proportion  among  the  officers  and  men  who  were 
\vith  him. 

This  was  the  method  used  throughout  the  conquest. 
Every  man  brought  whatever  he  had  obtained  and  placed 
it  in  a  common  heap,  to  be  divided  by  the  leader  according 
to  the  rank  and  services  of  the  men  taking  part  in  the 
expedition.  If  anyone  were  found  hiding  treasure  of 
any  sort,  so  as  to  obtain  more  than  his  due  share,  he  was 
condemned  and  slain.  Rarely  was  it  necessary  to  have 
recourse  to  this  penalty. 

"  Now,  my  lads,"  said  Pizarro,  after  their  gains  had 
been  shared,  "  the  treasure  we  have  found  here  is  only 
a  foretaste  of  what  we  shall  obtain.  But  we  must  have 
more  men  to  aid  us  in  our  task,  and  therefore  I  shall  send 
back  by  the  ships  the  share  of  the  Crown  and  the  shares 
of  any  of  you  who  desire  to  place  them  in  security.  When 
so  much  treasure  is  shown  in  Panama,  I  doubt  not  that  it 
will  settle  the  doubts  of  the  waverers,  and  decide  many  to 
come  out  and  join  our  banner." 

The  suggestion  was  voted  a  good  one,  and,  thereupon,  a 
move  was  made  to  the  seashore.  A  trumpet  call  brought 
the  vessels  inshore,  and  gold  was  transferred  to  them  to 

72 


At  the  Door  of  the  Land   of  Gold 

the  value  of  twenty  thousand  castellanos.  The  captains 
were  then  instructed  by  Pizairo  to  make  all  haste  back 
to  Panama,  and  to  enlist  as  many  more  recruits  as  could 
be  induced  to  volunteer. 

Having  rested  and  refreshed  themselves  that  night  in 
the  huts  of  the  Indian  village,  the  band  of  conquerors  set 
off  next  morning  southwards  on  their  way  to  Tumbez. 

They  now  traversed  land  which  was  covered  with  wastes 
of  sand,  which,  driven  about  by  the  wind,  blinded  the 
soldiers  ;  and  so  shifting  was  the  ground  that  men  and 
beasts  often  fell.  Added  to  this,  the  soldiers  found  that 
their  thick  quilted  doublets  of  cotton,  or  their  cuirasses 
of  iron  mail,  were  sources  of  great  pain,  for  as  the  men 
struggled  on  mile  after  mile  in  the  sultry  sun,  they  almost 
swooned  in  suffocation.  Moreover,  the  glare  of  the  sun  on 
their  eyes  was  unbearable. 

Then  a  strange  plague  broke  out  amongst  them.  It 
came  in  the  form  of  great  ulcers  or  warts,  which  almost 
covered  the  body.  If  by  chance  one  were  broken,  the  man 
died  from  loss  of  blood,  and  several  men  were  lost  in  this 
way  and  were  buried  by  the  wayside.  They  came  upon 
one  or  two  poor  villages,  where  they  found  that  the  plague 
had  arrived  before  them,  for  the  huts  were  filled  with  sick 
or  dying  natives,  who  looked  upon  the  strange  iron-clad 
warriors  with  lack-lustre  eyes. 

^The  natives  of  other  villages  fled  without  attempting 
to  make  any  resistance,  leaving  their  homes  to  be  rifled 
by|the  freebooters.  These,  finding  little  or  no  gold  in  any 
of  them,  began  to  grumble  ;  and  many,  worn  out  by  their 
travels  and  weakened  by  disease,  cursed  themselves  and 
their  leaders,  bewailing  their  foolishness  in  ever  having 
left  their  pleasant  quarters  in  Panama,  and  the  luxuries 
of  civilization. 

1Z 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

They  had  now  reached  a  s})ot  where  the  sea  had  made 
a  kind  of  harbour,  where  afterwards  a  town  was  reared, 
named  Puerto  Viejo.  Here  they  rested  several  days,  and 
one  morning  their  eyes  were  gladdened  by  the  sight  of  a 
caravel  which,  on  anchoring  inshore,  landed  some  thirty 
men  under  the  command  of  a  captain  named  Belalcazar. 

Here  many  of  Pizarro's  followers,  weary  of  marching  and 
of  their  sickness,  desired  that  their  leader  should  found  a 
colony  ;  but  as  yet  the  chief  had  no  ideas  of  aught  but 
conquest.  To  their  proposals  he  returned  a  decided 
negative. 

"  Nay,"  said  he  ;  "  it  would  be  madness  to  stay  upon  our 
road  now.  The  key  to  the  treasures  of  the  inland  kingdom 
lies  at  Tumbez.  Let  us  first  get  possession  of  that  town, 
and  the  whole  empire  of  Peru  will  lie  at  our  feet." 

They  continued  their  march,  therefore,  along  the  shores 
of  what  is  now  called  the  Gulf  of  Guayaquil,  until  they 
came  opposite  an  island  which  the  Tumbez  natives  with 
them  said  was  called  Puna,  and  lay  at  a  little  distance 
from  the  town  of  Tumbez  itself.  To  this  island  Pizarro 
decided  to  transport  his  men,  thinking  that  it  would  be 
the  most  convenient  camping-place  from  which  to  descend 
upon  the  Indian  city. 

Hardly  had  he  come  to  this  resolution,  when  some  of  the 
broad,  raft -like  balsas  were  seen  coming  from  the  island 
toward  them.  They  were  filled  with  natives,  who,  with 
their  chief  or  cacique  at  their  head,  welcomed  the 
Spaniards,  bringing  with  them  fresh  provisions  for  the 
use  of  the  white  men. 

Pizarro  informed  them,  through  his  interpreters,  that  he 
desired  to  make  his  camp  on  their  island,  and  asked 
whether  they  would  transfer  himself  and  his  men  in  their 
craft ;   to  which  the  Peruvians  agreed  with  every  look  of 

74 


At  the  Door  of  the  Land  of  Gold 

friendliness,  and  instantly  began  to  prepare  their  balsas 
for  ferryinj;^  across  the  men  and  horses  of  the  Spaniards. 

^Vhile  the  latter  also  made  their  preparations,  Felipillo, 
one  of  the  natives  of  Tiimbez  whom  Pizarro  had  taken 
with  him  to  Spain  in  order  to  learn  Castilian,  that  they 
might  act  as  interpreters  and  spies  on  the  expedition,  came 
to  him  and  said  : 

"  Senor,  there  is  treachery  in  the  hearts  of  the  Puna 
men.  Ever  have  they  been  known  as  false  dogs  by  the 
braves  of  Tumbez.  The}''  conspire  to  destroy  you  and 
your  men,  by  cutting  the  ropes  which  bind  the  planks  of 
the  balsas,  so  that  you  with  your  horses  and  men  will  be 
drowned  in  the  sea." 

Instantly  Pizarro  ordered  the  chiefs  of  the  Puna  men  to 
come  to  him,  and  charged  them  with  this  treacherous 
scheme.  But  they  indignantly  denied  that  any  deceit 
was  in  their  hearts. 

"  What  should  we  gain  from  such  a  deed,"  they  asked, 
"  when  your  wealth  would  be  sunk  in  the  deep  sea  beyond 
our  reach  ?  And  well  we  know  that  even  if  we  caused  the 
deaths  of  all  of  you,  there  would  soon  be  others  coming  from 
your  land  to  avenge  you  and  stamp  us  and  our  people  out." 

It  seemed  to  Pizarro  that  they  spoke  the  truth,  and 
that  they  had  not  meditated  any  evil  against  him.  He 
questioned  Felipillo  and  the  other  men  of  Tumbez  narrowly, 
and  learned  that  the  Puna  men  had  always  been  their 
enemies.  Long  and  sanguinary  wars  had  been  waged 
between  them  ;  the  Puna  men  had  withstood  the  power  of 
the  men  of  the  mainland  for  a  long  time,  and  even  when 
they  had  at  last  been  subdued,  they  bore  their  subjection 
with  a  restless  mien  and  broke  into  rebellion  at  the  least 
excuse. 

The  suspicion  of  the  Tumbez  men,  therefore,  seemed  to 

75 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

be  explained  by  the  enmity  which  they  bore  to  the  Punas, 
and  Pizarro  decided  to  trust  himself  to  the  balsas.  Nor 
was  his  confidence  in  the  brave  islanders  misplaced,  for 
they  transported  him  and  his  men  across  to  the  island 
without  the  loss  of  a  single  article. 

The  Spaniards  were  sho^vn  to  comfortable  quarters  on 
the  island,  and  so  pleasant  was  the  place  and  friendly  the 
natives  that  Pizarro  decided  to  occupy  it  until  the  rainy 
season,  which  was  drawing  to  a  close,  was  ended.  Moreover, 
by  that  time  he  expected  Almagro  would  have  arrived  with 
sufficient  reinforcements  of  men  and  horses  to  justify  his 
marching  into  the  lands  of  the  Incas  with  every  hope  of 
success. 

No  sooner  did  the  people  of  Tumbez  hear  of  the  return 
of  the  Spaniards  than,  trusting  to  the  friendly  relations 
which  had  existed  between  them  on  the  former  occasion, 
many  of  them  came  across  in  their  balsas  to  the  island  of 
Puna,  to  welcome  Pizarro  and  his  men.  There  were  others 
in  the  tovnn  of  Tinnbez,  however,  who,  having  heard  from 
fleeing  natives  of  the  ravages  committed  by  the  Spaniards 
on  the  march  along  the  coast,  advised  that  no  approaches 
should  be  made  to  the  foreigners  ;  but  these  cautious  folk 
were,  for  the  time,  overborne. 

The  Puna  men  bitterly  resented  the  presence  of  the 
Tumbez  men  on  their  island,  and  disliked  to  see  how  they 
fawned  on  the  Spaniards.  Black  looks  were  therefore 
exchanged  between  the  rival  tribes.  When  some  time  had 
elapsed,  the  presence  of  so  large  a  body  of  Spaniards  be- 
came burdensome  to  the  Puna  people,  as  their  supplies 
of  food  were  too  quickly  exhausted  ;  moreover,  the  Spanish 
soldiers  were  often  overbearing  and  exacting  to  the  natives. 
In  a  little  while,  though  the  Puna  men  still  seemed  friendly 
on  the  whole,  there  happened  a  few  incidents  which  showed 

76 


At  the  Door  of  the  Land   of  Gold 

that  their  feelings  to  the  Spaniards  were  becoming  changed . 
At  length  Pizarro's  two  chief  interpreters  came  to  him 
and  told  him  that  the  Puna  men  were  conspiring  to  fall 
upon  him  and  slay  all  his  people.  He  bade  the  Tumbez 
men  watch  the  others  and  let  him  know  what  took  place. 

A  few  days  later  Felipillo  came  to  Pizarro  in  the  hut, 
and  said  : 

"  Seiior,  even  now  the  traitor  chiefs  are  gathered  to- 
gether to  plot  your  slaying  this  night." 

Pizarro  questioned  the  boy,  and  then,  rising,  he  ordered 
thirty  picked  soldiers  to  assemble  quietly  together,  fully 
armed.  With  these,  and  led  by  Felipillo,  he  marched  to 
a  clearing  in  the  wood  near  by,  where  ten  or  twelve  chiefs 
were  assembled,  and,  having  stealthily  surrounded  them, 
he  made  them  prisoners. 

By  this  time  numbers  of  the  people  of  Tumbez  had 
gathered  around,  gloating  over  the  discomfiture  of  their* 
hated  enemies. 

Sternly  Pizarro  charged  the  captured  chiefs  with  con- 
spiring to  slay  him  and  his  soldiers  treacherously.  The 
Puna  men  looked  at  him  with  fury  in  their  eyes  ;  and  to  his 
repeated  questions  they  returned  nothing  but  silence  and 
glances  of  baffled  rage.  They  neither  excused  themselves 
nor  confessed  their  guilt. 

Pizarro  hesitated  but  a  moment.  Already  men  from 
the  Puna  village  were  gathering,  and  he  foresaw  that  it 
might  be  difficult  to  retire  to  his  main  force  if  he  delayed 
longer.  It  was  evident  to  him  that  the  chiefs  had 
meditated  rising  against  him  ;  and,  experienced  by  twenty 
years  of  Indian  fighting,  he  knew  that  to  let  them  go  un- 
punished would  result  disastrously  to  himself  and  his 
little  band. 

Meanwhile  the  warriors  of  Tumbez,  their  eyes  gleaming 

77 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

with  the  hist  of  revenge,  clamoured  about  him.  They 
demanded  to  be  allowed  to  be  his  executioners. 

A  few  short  words  of  command,  and  the  Spanish  soldiers 
had  formed  ready  for  marching.  The  Tumbez  men,  strain- 
ing like  fierce  hounds  in  leash,  saw  their  enemies  an  easy 
prey,  and  waited  for  a  look,  a  gesture,  from  the  Spanish 
leader.  The  Puna  natives,  gathering  thicker  and  thicker, 
already  formed  an  obstacle  to  his  return  to  quarters. 

Pizarro  raised  his  hand  and  thrust  it  down  towards  the 
captive  Puna  men.  Instantly  the  Tumbez  warriors  hurled 
themselves  upon  the  chiefs  of  their  enemies,  and,  with 
yells  of  exultation,  massacred  the  whole  of  them.  Mean- 
while, Pizarro  had  given  an  order,  and  in  close  marching 
order  his  men  had  quickly  pushed  through  the  enraged 
Puna  natives  and  soon  reached  their  quarters. 

Not  long  had  the  Spaniards  to  wait  for  the  result  of 
the  slaying  of  the  chieftains.  They  heard  from  the  direc- 
tion of  the  Puna  village  the  sound  of  men  in  fury,  lashing 
themselves  into  rage.  Soon  a  party  of  the  Tumbez  men 
who  had  joined  in  the  massacre  of  the  chieftains  dashed 
up,  and  reported  that  they  had  had  to  fight  their  way 
through  the  Punas,  leaving  half  their  number  dead 
behind  them. 

Next  moment,  out  of  the  wood  which  separated  the 
Spanish  quarters  from  the  town  of  the  Punas,  poured  an 
excited  crowd  of  warriors,  yelling  their  war-cries,  and 
flourishing  their  spears  or  long  knives.  Madly  they  hurled 
themselves  upon  the  mail-clad  Spaniards,  who  coolly 
received  them  on  their  long  pikes,  or  mowed  them  down 
by  the  volleys  of  their  nuisketiy. 

The  half -naked  bodies  of  the  Indians  had  no  protection 
against  the  weapons  of  the  Spaniards,  and  time  after  time 
their  devoted  attacks  were  checked  or  repelled  by  the 

78 


Out   of  the  wood  poured  an  excited  crowd  of  warriors  78 


At  the  Door   of  the  Land  of  Gold 

pitiless  rain  of  bullets  or  the  keen  strokes  of  the  long 
swords. 

Suddenly,  from  the  midst  of  the  lines  of  the  Spaniards 
dashed  a  band  of  steel-clad  horsemen,  with  Pizarro's 
brother,  Hernando,  at  their  head.  These,  each  in  flashing 
cuirass  and  headpiece,  charged  boldly  into  the  thickest 
mass  of  the  Indians,  and  so  sudden  was  their  onslaught,  so 
stern  their  pursuit,  that,  panic-stricken,  the  natives  turned 
and  scattered,  rushing  back  into  the  forest,  pursued  by 
the  soldiery. 

Hundreds  of  Indians  were  slain  in  this  battle,  whereas 
only  three  or  four  of  the  Spaniards  were  killed,  though 
many  were  wounded,  among  them  being  Hernando  Pizarro, 
who  was  thrust  through  the  leg  by  a  javelin. 

But  as  the  days  passed  it  was  found  that  the  war  had 
assumed  another  form.  No  Spaniard  could  go  any  distance 
from  his  quarters  without  running  a  risk  of  being  cut  off, 
and  eveiy  night  brought  a  sudden  burst  of  fiendish  yells  and 
an  attack  in  some  part  of  the  camp.  Under  such  circum- 
stances it  was  difficult  to  keep  the  party  supplied  with 
provisions  ;  and  the  Spaniards  lived  in  a  perpetual  state 
of  anxiety  and  alarm. 

After  some  weeks  of  this  harassing  existence,  one  day  a 
soldier,  looking  toward  the  open  sea,  descried  two  caravels. 
Instantly  the  camp  was  in  joyful  commotion,  trumpets 
were  sounded  as  a  signal  to  the  ships,  which  quickly  replied. 
In  a  little  while  the  vessels  lay  anchored  off  the  island  and 
boats  were  passing  to  and  fro,  disembarking  a  hundred 
recruits  from  Panama,  who  were  welcomed  boister- 
ously into  the  camp. 

At  the  head  of  this  accession  to  his  forces  was  a  famous 
captain,  Don  Hernando  de  Soto,  whom  Pizarro  gravely 
but  cordially  welcomed  when  he  landed.    De  Soto  was  well 

79 


The   Conquerors  of  Peru 

known  to  him,  for  both  had  fought  together  during  years 
of  Indian  warfare.  De  Soto  was  not  to  owe  his  greatest 
fame  to  Peru,  but  in  later  years  he  was  to  wander  far  to  the 
north  amid  the  wild  places  and  wilder  people  of  North 
America,  and  to  be  the  first  European  whose  eyes  gazed 
upon  the  majestic  waters  of  the  Mississippi,  in  whose 
depths  he  was  to  find  his  burial-place. 

"  With  the  reinforcements  you  have  brought  me,"  said 
Pizarro,  after  each  had  told  his  news,  "  I  will  now  pass 
over  to  the  mainland,  for  I  learn  that  the  country  is  torn 
between  two  opposing  rivals  for  the  throne,  and  the  time 
is  ripe  for  us  to  strike." 


80 


CHAPTER    VI 
A  Desperate  Venture 

WHEN  the  soldiers  knew  that  they  were  to 
advance  to  the  conquest  of  the  mainland, 
they  set  about  their  preparations  with  great 
good  will.  Numbering  only  about  three  hundred,  they 
were  to  attempt  to  conquer  a  rich  and  populous  country, 
ruled,  as  some  had  heard,  by  a  powerful  and  warlike 
monarch  ;  but  the  immense  odds  did  not  terrify  them. 
Had  not  Cortes  conquered  the  kingdom  of  the  Aztecs 
with  a  mere  handful  of  the  daring  fighters  of  Castile  ? 
Had  not  every  kingdom  in  the  Indies  over  which  now 
waved  the  flag  of  the  emperor  been  wrested  from  the 
fierce  savages  by  small  bands  of  hardy  cavaliers  ? 
Therefore  Pizarro  and  his  men  went  forward  confident 
in  the  power  of  their  arms,  believing  also,  as  all  of  them 
did  most  earnestly,  that  Gk)d  and  His  saints  fought  for 
them,  to  the  end  that  the  land  of  the  benighted  heathen 
should  come  under  the  rule  of  Christendom. 

Pizarro  determined  to  transport  his  army  to  Tumbez, 
which  was  but  a  few  miles  distant,  and  therefore  the  soldiers 
were  embarked  on  the  caravels,  and  the  baggage  and 
stores  were  loaded  on  Indian  balsas. 

Slowly  the  little  fleet  crossed  the  sea  and  approached 
on  easy  landing-place  on  the  mainland,  not  far  from  the 
city  of  Tumbez.  The  men  in  the  ships  prepared  to  dis- 
embark, and  no  great  watch  was  being  kept,  because,  as 

F  8i 


The   Conquerors   of  Peru 

the  natives  of  Tumbez  had  always  been  friendly,  the 
Spaniards  supposed  that  their  feelings  had  not  lately 
changed. 

Suddenly  cries  of  terror  and  anger  arose,  and,  looking 
forth,  men  saw  that  one  of  the  balsas  which  had  touched 
the  shore  was  being  attacked  by  Peruvians.  There  were 
three  soldiers  on  the  raft,  and  these  were  overpowered, 
dragged  off  the  raft  and  butchered  before  the  eyes  of  their 
comrades. 

Leaving  the  corpses  of  the  Spanish  soldiers,  the  Indians 
then  ran  to  another  balsa,  and  boarded  it.  There,  how- 
ever, they  met  with  a  stout  resistance  ;  but  it  would  have 
gone  ill  with  the  Spaniards  if  their  cries  had  not  been 
heard  by  Hernando  Pizarro,  who,  at  the  head  of  some 
cavalry,  had  landed  near  the  place. 

Spurring  their  horses  through  the  soft  mud  of  the  fore- 
shore, the  cavaliers  were  quickly  near  the  balsa  ;  but  at 
sight  of  them  the  Indians  hurriedly  ceased  their  attack 
and  scattered  into  the  forests,  which  were  at  this  point 
impenetrable  to  horsemen. 

Pizarro  and  his  men  were  considerably  surprised  at  this 
hostile  reception  on  the  very  borders  of  the  town  of 
Tumbez,  which  had  hitherto  been  so  friendly.  Quickly 
landing  his  men,  he  led  them  along  the  shore,  re- 
solved to  demand  some  satisfaction  for  the  unprovoked 

The  soldiers  were  in  high  glee,  especially  the  raw  recruits. 
These  had  heard  the  tales  of  the  wondrous  treasures  seen  at 
Tumbez,  and  they  promised  themselves  wealth  which  had 
only  to  be  taken  from  the  walls  of  the  temple  or  demanded 
from  simple  natives. 

The  men,  therefore,  marched  along,  laughing  and  jesting, 
while  every  eager  face  turned  at  each  bend  of  the  shore, 

82 


A  Desperate  Venture 

expecting  to  see  the  houses  of  the  wonderful  city  of  gold 
before  them. 

Presently  they  came  to  the  open  beach  before  the  town, 
and  then  a  strange  sight  met  their  eyes.  The  shore,  which 
had  been  busy  when  last  they  saw  it  with  natives  in  many- 
coloured  robes,  and  the  waters  lively  with  balsas  and 
canoes,  was  now  utterly  deserted  ;  and  looking  farther, 
to  where  the  town  had  stood,  they  saw  ruined  walls,  roofless 
huts,  and  roads  choked  with  rubbish. 

Everywhere  was  silence  and  desolation.  The  Spaniards 
stood  still,  open-mouthed  with  wonder  and  consternation. 
Then,  in  a  body,  they  ran  among  the  ruins,  searching  for 
anything  of  value.  But  nothing  was  to  be  found.  Pizarro 
rode  through  the  town  and  found  that,  with  the  exception 
of  four  or  five  of  the  more  substantial  private  buildings, 
the  great  temple  and  the  fortress,  all  of  which  were 
stripped  of  their  interior  decorations,  nothing  was  left  of 
the  town  but  ruins,  and  nothing  remained  of  its  former 
splendour. 

The  Spanish  soldiers  left  their  vain  searching  and 
gathered  together  again  in  the  wide  space  before  the  town. 
They  gazed  at  the  scene  of  desolation  before  them,  and 
dismay  and  consternation  filled  their  minds.  Here,  at  the 
very  beginning  of  their  venture,  they  had  expected  to  put 
their  hands  on  a  rich  prize,  which  should  be  only  the 
beginning  of  a  conquest  of  incalculable  wealth.  But, 
instead,  ruin  and  destruction  met  their  eyes  ;  the  gold 
they  had  thought  within  their  grasp  had  vanished  even 
as  they  attempted  to  touch  it. 

As  they  gazed  gloomily  about  the  place,  suddenly,  from 
a  piece  of  forest  near  one  end  of  the  town,  came  two  or  three 
natives,  running.  They  recognized  them  as  some  of  their 
own  Indians  who  had  been  with  Pizarro  to  Spain. 

83 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

Headed  by  the  lad  Felipillo,  these  came  breathlessly  to 
Pizarro  and  said  : 

"  Senor,  we  guessed  that  our  people  could  not  be  far  off. 
Do  you  send  some  of  your  riders  quickly  through  the 
forest,  and  catch  them  before  they  all  escape." 

At  once  Pizarro  bade  his  brother  Hernando  take  a  body 
of  cavalry  and  follow  the  friendly  Indians.  The  Spaniards 
rode  away  swiftly,  while  Pizarro  ordered  that  a  camp 
should  be  made  amidst  the  ruins  of  the  town. 

Toward  evening  the  horsemen  were  seen  returning 
through  the  trees,  with  several  Indian  captives  among 
them.  These  were  brought  before  Pizarro,  who  questioned 
them  as  to  their  reasons  for  destroying  the  town  and 
running  away. 

One  of  the  captives  stepped  forward,  whom  Candia 
instantly  recognized  as  the  chief  magistrate  or  curaca 
whom  he  had  seen  on  his  previous  visit. 

"  It  is  not  we,  great  lord,"  said  the  man,  "  who  have 
destroyed  our  town,  but  the  men  of  Puna,  who  have 
long  waged  war  with  us  and,  just  before  you  came, 
succeeded  in  rushing  the  place  and  driving  us  into  the 
forest." 

Pizarro  knew  that  this  was  not  the  truth  ;  but  that  the 
Peruvians  had  dismantled  the  town  and  hidden  all  their 
treasure  so  as  to  save  them  from  falling  into  the  hands  of 
the  invaders.  Tlie  Spanish  leader,  however,  did  not  show 
his  disbelief,  but  went  on  to  demand  why  his  men  were 
attacked  when  they  attempted  to  land. 

"  I  gave  no  orders  for  any  evil  dealing,"  said  the  curaca, 
"  and  those  that  slew  your  men  were  lawless  and  wild  men 
who  dwelt  not  in  the  town  but  in  the  forests.  I  have 
nothing  but  friendly  thoughts  for  you,  my  white  brothers," 
went  on  the  wily  Peruvian,  "  and  I  will  give  orders  that 

84 


A  Desperate  Venture 

those  men  be  sought  out  and  captured,  and  delivered  over 
to  you  for  punishment." 

"  Do  that,"  said  Pizarro,  "  and  swear  to  me  that  hence- 
forth you  and  your  people  will  aid  and  assist  us  in  all  we 
do,  and  I  will  take  no  further  notice  of  the  attack  upon 


me." 


"  I  swear  to  be  obedient  to  you,  my  lord,  in  all  your 
desires  and  commands,"  replied  the  curaca,  "and  my 
people  will  likewise  obey  you." 

After  this,  the  people  of  the  town  gradually  came  back 
from  their  hiding-places  in  the  forest  and  the  mountains, 
and  began  to  rebuild  their  houses  and  to  enter  the  camp 
of  the  Spaniards  in  all  friendliness. 

It  was  clear  to  Pizarro  that,  if  he  would  succeed  in  his 
conquest,  he  must  rely  more  on  stratagem  than  on  the 
force  of  his  arms.  He  must  gain  the  good  will  of  the 
people,  seeing  that  the  odds  against  him  in  numbers  and 
power  were  tremendous.  He  felt  that  he  had  done  wrong 
in  allowing  his  men  to  commit  robbery  and  act  high- 
handedly in  the  march  along  the  coast ;  and  that  such 
conduct  had  shaken  the  confidence  of  the  Tumbez  people 
and  incited  them  to  demolish  their  town  and  to  attack  him 
when  he  attempted  to  land. 

One  day  the  Greek  cavalier  Candia  asked  the  curaca, 
through  Felipillo,  what  had  become  of  Molina  and  the 
other  Spaniard,  his  friend,  who  had  been  left  at  Tumbez 
on  the  last  voyage. 

Both,  replied  the  curaca,  had  died  a  few  months 
before  of  a  strange  disorder,  which  had  also  killed  others 
at  the  same  time. 

A  little  later  Felipillo  came  to  Candia,  where  he  stood 
talking  with  other  Spaniards,  and  said  : 

"  Sefior,  I  think  the  curaca  told  not  the  truth  concerning 

S5 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

the  two  Spanish  gentlemen  who  stayed  behind.  I  have 
asked  others,  and  all  tell  different  tales.  Some  say  the 
Puna  warriors  slew  them  in  battle,  and  others  that  they 
attempted  to  take  some  gold  and  were  slain,  after  slaying 
many  Indians." 

"  I  thought  so,"  said  Candia,  with  a  laugh.  "  The  wily 
old  curaca  spoke  the  truth  in  a  way,  only  the  disorder 
which  slew  them  and  others  at  the  same  time  was  not  so 
strange,  after  all." 

The  news  of  the  death  of  the  two  Spaniards  got  abroad 
among  the  soldiers,  and  it  moved  them  to  gloomy  thoughts. 
Their  comrades  had  trusted  themselves  among  these 
strange  Indians  in  this  fertile  and  beautiful  land,  but 
they  had  soon  met  death.  Would  they  themselves  fare 
any  better,  surrounded  by  hordes  of  Indians,  treacherous, 
probably,  in  spite  of  their  appearance  of  friendliness  ? 

One  day  an  Indian  came  to  Pizarro,  and,  producing  a 
piece  of  paper  from  his  robe,  handed  it  to  the  commander. 
Pizarro  took  it  and  found  on  it  a  few  Spanish  words  written 
in  a  rough  hand,  as  follows  : — "  Know,  whoever  you  be 
that  may  chance  to  set  foot  in  this  country,  that  it  contains 
more  gold  and  silver  than  there  is  iron  in  Biscay." 

"  Where  got  you  this  ?  "  asked  Pizarro  of  the  Indian. 

"  Senor,  I  got  it  of  my  master,  one  of  the  Spaniards  who 
lived  here,"  was  the  reply.  "  He  gave  it  to  me  one  day, 
and  said  that  he  doubted  if  he  should  live  to  see  his  friends' 
return.  But  if  they  did  return  I  was  to  give  this  paper 
to  their  leader  and  he  would  reward  me." 

Pizarro  gave  the  man  a  present  and  dismissed  him. 
The  story  of  the  piece  of  writing  got  about  the  Spanish 
camp  ;  but  the  soldiers  grimly  ridiculed  the  tale. 

"  Our  general  is  a  wily  man,"  said  they.  "He  knows 
we  have  a  big  task  before  us,  and  that  some  of  us  fear  for 

86 


A  Desperate  Venture 

our  skins  already,  and  he  played  that  trick  by  the  aid  of 
some  Indian  to  give  us  heart." 

But  Felipillo  and  the  other  interpreters  began  to  tell 
them  tales  of  the  wealthy  city  where  the  king  held  his 
Court  leagues  away  in  the  mountains  ;  and  spoke  of  the 
gold  to  be  found  in  the  temples  and  in  the  houses  of  the 
rich. 

"  And  there  is  a  lake  among  the  mountains,"  they  went 
on,  "  so  deep  that  none  has  ever  plumbed  it.  And  at  the 
bottom  thereof  dwells  the  god  of  that  country.  Every 
year  he  claims  the  sacrifice  of  a  man,  and  the  victim  must 
leap  or  be  thrown  into  the  lake,  so  that  he  sinks  down  to 
the  god,  who  devours  him.  Each  victim  is  first  rolled  in 
thick  oil,  and  then  he  is  rolled  in  gold  dust,  so  that  it  lies 
upon  his  body  to  the  thickness  of  a  thumb.  And  then, 
with  many  prayers  and  songs,  the  man  ascends  a  high  place 
over  the  lake,  and  when  the  priest  gives  the  word  the 
victim  is  thrust  over.  He  is  called  the  Golden  Man,  and 
in  that  country  gold  can  be  picked  from  the  rivers  like 
pebbles  and  from  the  rocks  like  stones." 

Many  of  the  Spaniards  pretended  to  disbelieve  the  tales 
told  by  the  Indians,  and  affected  to  think  that  they  were 
all  parts  of  a  trick  which  Pizarro  was  working  in  order  to 
keep  up  their  spirit  and  to  encourage  them  to  go  forward. 
Nevertheless,  many  believed  the  tales,  especially  the  one 
of  the  Golden  Man,  or  El  Dorado,  as  the  Spaniards  trans- 
lated it,  and  hoped  that  they  might  find  that  land  with 
its  almost  incredible  wealth  of  gold. 

The  gloom  and  despondency  among  the  men  had  not 
been  unobserved  by  Pizarro  and  his  chief  men,  his  brother 
Hernando  and  de  Soto. 

The  three  men  sat  one  night  in  the  hut  set  apart  for 
Pizarro,  and  each  was  sunk  in  his  own  thoughts.     On  the 

87 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

table  between  them  was  a  Peruvian  lamp  made  of  clay, 
filled  with  oil  from  which  a  lighted  reed  projected,  the 
meagre  flame  just  making  the  faces  of  the  three  men  visible 
to  each  other,  while  at  their  back  the  darkness  was  im- 
penetrable. 

From  the  camp  outside  came  the  voices  of  men,  some 
gambling  by  the  light  of  similar  lamps  or  of  torches,  others 
sleeping  or  preparing  food  at  the  fires. 

"  Marquis,"  said  de  Soto,  addressing  Pizarro  by  the 
title  conferred  upon  him  by  the  Emperor  Charles,  "  you 
spoke  yesterday  of  making  a  settlement  in  a  commodious 
place  near  the  coast.  Do  you  not  think  this  should  be 
soon  put  in  hand  ?    For  the  men  seem  tired  of  inaction." 

"  I  know  it,"  said  Pizarro,  "  and  I  know,  too,  that 
unless  they  have  change  or  are  set  to  do  something,  some 
of  those  who  are  for  ever  croaking  of  disaster  will  wish  to 
seize  the  ships  and  scuttle  back  to  Panama." 

"  A  tree  and  a  rope  for  the  worst  of  such  croakers  would 
discourage  the  others,"  said  Hernando  Pizarro,  with  a 
cruel  laugh. 

He  was  plain  of  face,  almost  ugly  ;  and  the  pitilessness 
and  arrogance  which  formed  the  main  part  of  his  character 
were  discernible  in  the  cold,  hard  eyes,  the  scornful  lip  and 
the  brutal  jaw. 

Pizarro  ignored  his  brother's  remark,  and  said  gravely  : 

"  It  is  necessary  that  I  learn  more  of  the  real  position 
of  affairs  in  this  country  before  I  decide  when  and  where 
I  make  my  advance.  To-morrow,  therefore,  we  will  go 
southward  along  the  coast  to  find  some  suitable  place  to 
form  a  base,  whence  we  can  send  to  Panama,  and  whence 
we  may  make  expeditions  into  the  country.  You,  de 
Soto,  shall  go  with  a  small  party  of  cavalry  farther  east- 
ward, and  explore  the  country  along  the  skirts  of  the 

S8 


A  Desperate  Venture 

Sierras.  Take  an  interpreter  with  you  and  glean  all  the 
news  you  can." 

Next  day,  therefore,  Pizarro,  leaving  at  Tumbez  a  few 
of  his  men  who  were  sickly,  set  out  with  the  rest  along  the 
coast.  A  small  detachment  under  de  Soto  was  sent  off 
as  he  had  decided . 

On  this  expedition  Pizarro's  policy  in  his  treatment  of 
the  natives  was  quite  different  from  that  which  he  had 
pursued  earlier.  He  commanded  his  men,  under  pain  of 
penalties,  to  offer  no  violence  or  discourtesy  to  any  of  the 
Peruvians.  When  the  inhabitants  of  a  village  offered 
resistance  he  quickly  reduced  them,  and  when  they  begged 
for  peace,  he  granted  their  appeal  with  all  friendliness. 
As  he  went  farther  into  the  land,  the  fame  of  his  mildness 
preceded  him,  and  the  natives  received  him  and  his  men 
with  open  arms,  providing  good  quarters  and  loading  them 
with  fresh  provisions.  They  found  the  country  thickly 
occupied  by  prosperous  hamlets,  and  the  land  cultivated 
to  a  high  degree. 

When  he  entered  a  village,  Pizarro  caused  the  head-man 
to  be  brought  before  him,  and  through  the  mouth  of 
Felipillo  he  made  the  following  proclamation  : — 

"  Know  ye  that  I,  Francisco  de  Pizarro,  Governor  and 
Captain -General  of  this  Province  of  New  Castile,  Adelan- 
tado  and  Alguacil  Mayor,  have  come  hither  in  the  name  of 
the  Holy  Vicar  of  God,  Pope  Clement  the  Seventh,  and 
by  the  command  of  my  most  excellent,  high  and  puissant 
master.  Emperor  Charles  the  Fifth  of  Spain,  in  order  that  ye 
may  be  drawn  into  the  knowledge  of  our  holy  Catholic  faith; 
and  therefore  I  require  you  in  peace  and  amity  to  obey 
the  Church  and  apostle  of  Rome,  and  in  things  temporal 
to  yield  obedience  to  his  Majesty  the  emperor  and  to  the 
kings  his  successors  in  the  kingdoms  of  Castile  and  Leon." 

89 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

Meanwhile,  the  notary  or  lawyer  who  accompanied  the 
Spaniards  had  drawn  out  parchment  and  inkhorn,  and, 
resting  these  on  the  bent  back  of  one  of  the  soldiers, 
gravely  entered  the  name  of  the  village  on  the  scroll, 
with  a  note  of  the  proclamation  having  been  made. 

Then,  when,  as  always  happened,  the  simple  Indians, 
understanding  not  a  word  of  what  had  been  said,  made  no 
objection,  the  commander  would  say  solemnly  : 

"  I  receive  your  homage  and  allegiance  as  vassals  of 
his  Majesty.  See  that  ye  keep  the  laws  and  fulfil  your 
dues  and  obligations  as  befits  obedient  subjects." 

The  notary  would  thereupon  record  in  his  parchment 
the  fact  that  another  hamlet  was  added  to  his  Majesty's 
dominions  and  its  inhabitants  had  rendered  their  homage. 

Some  three  or  four  weeks  after  leaving  Tumbez  the 
Spaniards  came  to  a  rich  valley  called  Tangarala,  where 
a  navigable  stream  flowed  into  the  ocean.  Here  Pizarro 
resolved  to  make  a  town,  and  the  men  at  Tumbez  were 
ordered  to  bring  the  vessels  round  to  the  mouth  of  the 
river.  When  they  arrived  the  barren  land  quickly 
assumed  the  appearance  of  a  busy  hive.  Timber  was  cut, 
stones  were  quarried,  and  gradually  houses  and  public 
buildings  arose. 

Among  these  were  a  church,  a  magazine  for  public  stores, 
a  hall  of  justice  and  a  fortress.  The  adjacent  land  was 
parcelled  out  among  the  soldiers,  and  each  colonist  was 
given  a  certain  number  of  Indians  to  work  for  him  on 
his  land.  The  town  was  named  by  the  Spaniards,  San 
Miguel. 

One  of  the  chief  duties  of  Pizarro 's  secretary  was  to  gain 
information,  through  the  interpreters,  of  the  condition  of 
affairs  among  the  Peruvians,  and  during  their  march  from 
Tumbez,  the  secretary  had  questioned  all  the  chiefs  of 

90 


A  Desperate  Venture 

villages  with  whom  he  could  get  in  touch,  and  had  written 
down  what  he  had  been  told. 

In  the  leisure  which  was  obtainable  while  the  town 
was  being  built,  Pizarro  called  his  secretary  to  him  from 
time  to  time  and  bade  him  read  all  that  he  had  been  able 
to  learn. 

First  of  all  the  Spanish  leader  bade  his  secretary  tell 
him  what  he  had  learned  concerning  the  army  of  the 
King  of  Peru. 

"  Every  Peruvian  who  has  reached  the  age  of  eighteen," 
said  the  secretary,  referring  to  his  scroll  of  parchment,  "  is 
required  to  take  part  in  the  drills  which  are  held  in  every 
town  and  hamlet  two  or  three  times  a  month .  I  have  been 
told  that  the  king  can  bring  into  the  field  an  army  of  two 
hundred  thousand  men." 

"That  is  a  marvellous  great  number,"  said  Pizarro. 
"  Have  you  learned  whether  such  an  army  has  ever  been 
called  together  at  one  time  ?  " 

"  Of  a  truth  I  was  told  that  in  the  recent  civil  war 
between  two  rivals  for  the  throne,"  replied  the  secretary, 
"  quite  that  number  of  soldiers  was  in  the  field  on  one  or 
other  side.  You  must  know,  Marquis,  that  the  present 
king  of  this  land  is  not  the  king  by  right  of  descent. 
Seven  years  ago  there  reigned  in  this  land  an  Inca,  or 
king,  called  Huayna  Capac,  who  had  two  sons.  The  elder 
of  these,  named  Huascar,  was,  according  to  the  custom  of 
the  land,  the  rightful  heir  to  the  throne.  But  the  Inca 
preferred  Huascar's  half-brother,  named  Atahualpa,  a 
young  man  of  a  bold  and  reckless  spirit,  Huascar  being 
mild  and  gentle.  Wlien  the  king  died,  he  divided  his 
kingdom.  To  Atahualpa  he  gave  Quito,  the  northern 
part,  and  to  Huascar  he  gave  Cuzco,  the  southern  part, 
bidding  them  live  in  peace  and  broth  erliness  together, 

91 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

For  five  years,  indeed,  they  lived  in  peace  ;  but  the  daring 
and  ambition  of  Atahualpa  at  length  created  discord 
between  them.  The  king  of  the  north  invaded  the  land 
of  his  half-brother  at  the  head  of  a  vast  army.  Several 
battles  and  great  carnage  took  place,  the  king  of  the  south 
fighting  bravely.  But  in  a  day-long  battle  in  the  south, 
at  a  place  where  now,  I  am  told,  one  may  still  see  the  bones 
of  the  dead  bleaching  in  heaps  over  the  wide  battlefield, 
Atahualpa  defeated  his  brother  and  took  him  prisoner. 
This,  your  Highness,  hath  but  lately  happened,  as  I  under- 
stand from  those  who  told  me  these  things,  and  I  think 
but  a  few  months  can  separate  us  from  the  time  when  the 
present  king  of  this  country  assumed  the  crown,  and  took 
possession  of  the  treasures  which  he  has  thus  gained  by 
conquest  at  the  cost  of  several  sanguinary  battles  and  the 
loss  of  many  thousands  of  brave  warriors." 

For  some  time  Pizarro  remained  silent,  his  cold,  grave 
eyes  looking  straight  before  him.     Then  he  said  : 

"  You  tell  me  things,  Senor  Secretary,  which  are  not  for 
the  ears  of  everyone.  Have  you  said  aught  of  this  to  any 
man  ?  " 

"  Nay,  Marquis,"  was  the  reply.  "  You  warned  me 
while  we  sailed  hither,  and  I  have  told  naught." 

"  Continue,  then,  to  keep  silent,"  said  Pizarro,  "  for 
some  might  lose  heart,  hearing  of  the  great  power,  opul- 
ence and  military  strength  of  these  heathens.  As  for  me, 
I  know  that  God  and  His  saints  fight  for  us,  and  therefore 
I  go  forward  with  a  light  heart,  confident  that  He  hath 
made  us  His  instrument  to  bring  this  nation  to  a  know- 
ledge of  the  holy  Catholic  faith." 

"  Amen,"  said  the  secretary,  and  withdrew. 

A  braver  man  than  Pizarro  might  feel  staggered  at  the 
tremendous  odds  against  him.     He  had  with  him  less 

92 


A   Desperate  Venture 

than  three  hundred  men  ;  and  arrayed  against  him  was 
a  monarch  powerful  in  the  possession  of  an  army  flushed 
with  the  success  of  a  great  conquest  !  But  the  old  Spanish 
soldiers  of  that  time,  however  reckless  and  cruel  they  were, 
had  a  steadfastness  of  faith  that  amounted  to  a  fanaticism 
almost  equal  to  that  of  the  Moors,  whose  blood  ran  in  the 
veins  of  many  of  them  ;  and  they  sincerely  beheved  that 
in  conquering  the  heathen,  subjugating  his  land,  and 
preaching  to  him  the  Catholic  faith,  they  were  doing  the 
will  of  God,  and  received  therefore  divine  assistance  in 
every  way. 

Sometimes  they  believed  that,  amid  their  ranks  as  they 
fought,  they  saw  cavaliers  whose  faces  shone  with  a  divine 
light,  and  whose  swords  dealt  death  without  showing 
wounds.  These  were  saints  who,  taking  on  the  semblance 
of  men,  fought  for  the  true  sons  of  the  Church.  Again, 
they  thought  they  saw  a  ghostly  host  above  them  in  the 
sky,  from  whose  hands  leapt  unseen  death  among  their 
foes,  who  were  certain  to  be  vanquished,  however  stubborn 
was  the  battle.  And  at  other  times,  evil  or  weak  counsel 
was  placed  in  the  minds  of  their  enemies  by  the  saintly 
helpers,  so  that  they  should  easily  fall  before  the  divinely 
aided  warriors  of  Spain. 

Nevertheless,  even  the  iron  heart  of  Pizarro  seems  to 
have  faltered  when  he  thought  over  the  gigantic  task  he 
had  set  before  himself.  Certainly,  he  had  an  example  of 
what  daring,  subtlety  and  stratagem  could  achieve  in  the 
exploits  of  Cortes  ;  but,  with  every  belief  in  himself  and 
the  justice  of  his  mission,  as  men  thought  in  those  days, 
the  attempt  at  conquering  so  powerful  a  monarch  as  the 
Inca  was  one  fraught  with  risks  of  great  disaster. 

For  a  few  weeks  after  the  building  of  the  town  had  been 
completed,  Pizarro  waited  in  case  Almagro,  who  had  been 

93 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

left  at  Panama,  might  come  with  more  reinforcements. 
But  week  followed  week  and  no  sail  broke  the  line  of  sea 
and  sky  to  the  north. 

The  Spanish  leader  knew  that  if  he  kept  his  men  in 
idleness  much  longer  they  would  lose  their  adventurous 
ardour,  and  that  their  strength  and  energy  would  be 
sapped  by  the  conditions  of  the  tropical  climate. 

He  therefore  decided  to  march  into  the  interior  at  the 
head  of  the  larger  portion  of  his  forces,  leaving  only  a  few 
score  to  guard  the  town. 

When  all  was  ready,  and  the  little  army,  consisting  of 
a  hundred  and  seventy-seven  men  and  three  priests,  stood 
in  the  plaza  of  the  to\vn,  Pizarro,  from  his  horse,  addressed 
those  who  were  to  be  left  behind. 

"  I  leave  you,"  he  said,  "  to  guard  this  place  in  the 
name  of  our  Gracious  Majesty.  You  are  a  little  bright 
spot  of  Christendom  in  a  land  dark  with  heathenism.  I 
charge  you  to  bear  yourselves  like  Christian  men.  Treat 
your  Indian  vassals  with  justice  and  mercy ;  and  the 
caciques  and  head-men  of  the  tribes  about  you,  bear  your- 
selves to  them  with  all  friendliness  and  good  will.  Not  only 
should  you  do  this  because  you  are  Christians,  but  your 
own  existence,  the  safety  of  myself,  the  army,  and  the 
success  of  our  venture  depend  upon  your  keeping  the  good 
friendship  of  the  Peruvians." 

Then,  saying  farewell  to  the  officers  of  the  Crown  left 
in  command  of  the  town,  Pizarro  put  himself  at  the  head 
of  his  little  band,  and  departed,  amid  the  shouts  of  those 
left  behind. 

The  course  taken  by  the  Spanish  leader  would  lead 
directly  into  the  heart  of  the  country,  where  he  had  learned 
that  the  town  of  the  Inca  lay.  As  they  pressed  farther 
inland  over  the  level  country  which  lay  between  the  sea- 

94 


A  Desperate  Venture 

coast  and  the  Cordilleras,  they  found  that  everywhere  the 
surface  was  broken  up  into  little  sequestered  valleys  of 
surpassing  loveliness,  the  bottoms  and  sides  of  which  were 
clothed  with  orchards  and  fields  of  yellow  grain.  Rivers 
ran  everywhere,  or,  where  they  were  wanting,  canals  and 
aqueducts  were  seen  crossing  the  country  in  all  directions, 
spreading  fertility  broadcast. 

Here,  indeed,  remembering  the  savage  forests  and 
gloomy  mangrove  swamps  of  the  north,  the  Spaniards 
thought  that  at  length  they  had  reached  the  land  whose 
richness  and  fertility  had  formed  the  subject  of  romantic 
rumours  the  truth  of  which  they  had  never  quite  beheved. 

Everywhere,  too,  the  people  seemed  as  pleasant  and 
as  kindly  as  their  surroundings.  They  welcomed  the 
Spaniards  with  simple  hospitality,  and  gave  them  all  that 
they  desired.  Pizarro  had  impressed  upon  his  men  thie 
necessity  of  treating  the  natives  with  every  courtesy 
and  good  will,  and  the  Peruvians  answered  in  the  like 
spirit. 

In  every  hamlet  of  any  size  the  Spaniards  found  a 
fortress,  or  a  large  hall  which  was  built  for  the  use  of  the 
Inca  in  his  royal  progress  from  time  to  time  through  his 
dominions.  In  these  the  Spaniards  were  housed,  so  that 
the  invaders  were  given  quarters  along  their  line  of  con- 
quest at  the  expense  of  that  very  king  whom  they  had 
come  to  dispossess. 

One  afternoon,  five  days  after  leaving  San  Miguel, 
Pizarro  halted  in  a  lovely  place  in  one  of  the  valleys 
previously  described,  and  bade  his  men  make  a  camp  for 
the  night.  The  men  marvelled  at  their  leader's  command, 
for  usually  he  halted  in  an  Indian  village,  and  then  only 
toward  the  end  of  the  day. 

But  Pizarro,  foreseeing  the  tremendous  difficulties  and 

95 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

dangers  of  the  venture  he  had  set  before  himself,  had 
decided  on  a  drastic  measure  which  would  ensure  that 
only  those  men  should  advance  farther  with  him  who  were 
willing  to  lay  down  their  lives  with  dauntless  courage 
and  unflinching  obedience. 


96 


CHAPTER    VII 

The  Cowards  are  Weeded  Out 

THE  night  passed  in  quiet.  Roused  by  bugle  call 
in  the  morning,  the  men  set  about  their  meal. 
Afterwards,  word  was  received  that  the  marquis 
was  about  to  inspect  them,  and  the  men  began  to  furbish 
their  clothes  and  to  clean  their  armour  and  weapons. 
Then,  at  another  call  on  the  bugle,  the  little  band  formed 
on  parade,  and  soon  Pizarro  rode  up,  and  with  his  brother 
Hernando,  de  Soto  and  the  three  priests,  passed  slowly- 
down  the  line  of  men,  his  keen  eye  marking  each  man 
narrowly.  Quickly  he  noted  the  high,  bold  looks  of  this 
one,  but  as  closely  he  saw  where  some  gloomed  as  his  eye 
rested  on  them,  and  their  mouths  were  sullen  with  dis- 
content. 

In  front  of  his  little  army  were  ranged  the  three  har- 
quebusiers  which  he  possessed,  and  beside  them  stood 
seventeen  crossbowmen.  Behind  these  were  the  infantry, 
each  with  long  pike  and  sword.  Of  these  men  there  were 
ninety.  In  the  third  line  were  the  cavalry,  numbering 
sixty-seven  men.  Thus,  the  total  of  his  fighting  force 
was  one  hundred  and  seventy-seven,  with  which  he  pro- 
posed to  attempt  the  conquest  of  a  country  which  could 
muster  two  hundred  thousand  fighting  men  ! 

At  length  Pizarro  reined  up  his  horse  in  front  of  his 
men,  and  in  grave  yet  persuasive  tones  addressed  them. 

"  Comrades,"  he  said,  "  we  have  arrived  at  a  crisis  in 

G  97 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

our  affairs,  and  it  behoves  every  man  therefore  to  summon 
up  all  his  courage  to  meet  that  crisis.  In  this  expedition 
which  we  have  set  out  upon,  no  man  should  take  part 
unless  he  can  do  it  with  his  whole  heart  and  with  no  mis- 
giving as  to  its  success.  I  have  none  myself,  and  I  want 
all  who  go  with  me  to  feel  as  I  do — that  we  are  going  to 
carry  this  venture  through  and  crown  it  with  success. 
But  if  any  there  be  of  you  who  think  otherwise,  it  is  not 
too  late  to  turn  back.  I  would  not  be  sorry  to  know  that 
San  Miguel,  which  I  have  had  to  leave  but  poorly  garrisoned, 
^vill  have  a  few  more  to  strengthen  its  defences.  Those 
who  choose  may  return,  and  to  them  shall  be  assigned  a 
due  portion  of  lands  and  Indian  labourers.  With  those 
who  choose  to  remain  with  me,  be  they  few  or  many,  I  will 
pursue  this  high  adventure  to  the  end." 

It  required  a  brave  and  strong  man  to  speak  thus  to  his 
handful  of  men.  Pizarro  had  seen,  from  hints  here  and 
there,  that  there  was  disaffection  and  half-heartedness  in 
the  ranks  ;  but  he  was  totally  unaware  to  what  extent 
these  feelings  had  spread.  Nevertheless,  he  resolved  that 
he  must  have  only  willing  hearts  with  him,  and  he  knew 
that  if  he  did  not  in  some  way  weed  out  the  discontented 
ones,  they  would  sap  the  confidence  of  all  his  men  and 
bring  ruin,  disaster  and  death  upon  them  all. 

His  bravery  and  daring  consisted  in  this  :  that,  when 
those  who  were  unwilling  should  accept  his  offer,  he  did 
not  know  how  wretchedly  few  the  remnant  of  brave  and 
willing  men  might  be. 

Wlien  he  had  finished  speaking  he  looked  gravely  up 
and  down  the  ranks  of  the  men  before  him.  The  eyes  of 
many  of  the  men  were  angry  as  they  looked  at  their  leader's 
face.  Why  did  he  doubt  them  like  this  ?  Were  they  not 
all  true  and  valiant  cavaliers  of  Spain  ?     What  other  sons 

98 


The  Cowards  are   Weeded  Out 

of  the  Holy  Cliurch  had  done,  weak  and  few  against  hordes 
of  savage  pagans  up  and  down  the  western  lands,  were 
they  not  also  willing  to  do  ? 

Men  looked  at  each  other  with  puzzled,  half -angry  looks ; 
some  hung  down  their  heads,  others  looked  braggart  and 
impudent.  For  some  moments  there  was  a  heavy  silence  ; 
then,  from  the  line  of  infantry,  a  high-pitched,  stiff  voice 
rose : 

"  I  think,  captain,  I  will  return.  I  think  the  odds  are 
too  great." 

"  And  I !  "  said  another,  with  an  awkward  laugh. 
"  There's  like  to  be  more  split  skulls  than  full  purses  from 
this  venture." 

Seven  others  said  the  same,  in  varying  words,  and  in 
varying  ways  of  half-shamefacedness  or  uncouth  humour, 
amid  the  laughter  and  banter  of  their  comrades. 

Pizarro  bade  them  stand  aside  together,  and  waited,  his 
grave  face  still  bent  upon  the  main  body. 

Suddenly  there  rose  from  the  men  who  remained  a  shout 
or  two,  which  quickly  spread  until  from  the  one  hundred 
and  sixty-eight  came  a  volley  of  hurrahs.  Breaking  rank, 
they  surged  round  Pizarro  and  the  two  other  chiefs, 
shouting  :   "  Lead  us  forward  !  Advance  !  Advance  !  " 

The  pale  face  of  Pizarra  flushed  faintly  as  he  looked  on 
the  eager  faces  of  those  who  thus  devoted  themselves  to 
him. 

Raising  his  hand,  he  commanded  silence,  and  then  said  : 

"  I  thank  you,  lads.  Never  shall  I  doubt  you  again. 
And  now  we  will  go  forward." 

A  few  commands  to  those  who  had  elected  to  return 
to  San  Mig-uel,  and  then,  all  being  ready,  the  main  body 
went  forward,  leaving  the  nine  to  depart  in  gloomy  silence 
together,  half  despising  themselves  and  each  other. 

99 


The   Conquerors  of  Peru 

By  this  bold  yet  subtle  stroke  of  leadership,  Pizarro  had 
lost,  in  men,  four  of  the  infantry  and  five  of  the  cavalry. 
But  in  the  hearts  of  those  who  remained  with  him  he  had 
gained  what  compensated  for  that  loss.  Henceforth  the 
hundred  and  sixty-eight  were  knitted  to  him  as  their 
leader  with  bonds  of  strictest  trust  and  confidence,  and  in 
them  Pizarro  knew  that  he  had  men  whom  he  could 
lead  through  any  dangers,  any  risks,  and  none  would 
ever  question  him. 

Two  days  later,  Pizarro  and  his  men  found  themselves 
among  the  mountains.  Every  village  they  had  passed 
since  they  left  San  Miguel  seemed  to  be  populated  by  old 
men,  women  and  children.  Asking  the  reason  of  this, 
they  had  been  told  that  the  Inca  had  drained  them  of 
their  men  to  swell  the  army  which  he  had  led  against  his 
half-brother  Huascar.  When  they  stopped  one  day  at  a 
village  to  get  their  midday  meal,  Felipillo,  the  chief  of  their 
interpreters,  learned  that  there  was  a  Peruvian  garrison 
stationed  at  a  town  called  Caxas,  lying  among  the  hills  at 
no  great  distance. 

When  Pizarro  heard  this,  he  called  Hernando  de  Soto 
to  him  and  said  : 

"  Take  ten  men  with  you,  de  Soto,  and  one  of  our  Indian 
interpreters,  and  a  guide,  and  advance  to  the  place  they 
speak  of.  Reconnoitre  the  ground,  learn  if  possible  whether 
the  garrison  have  any  designs  upon  us,  and  come  and 
report  to  me  at  the  next  large  town,  Zaran,  where  I  will 
stay  until  your  return.  Already  we  have  been  longer 
upon  our  journey  to  the  camp  of  the  Inca  than  we  expected, 
and  I  wish  to  know  more  of  the  route  before  we  advance 
farther." 

Day  followed  day  in  great  suspense,  while  Pizarro 
awaited  the  return  of  de  Soto  at  Zaran.     A  week  passed, 

loo 


Lead  us  forward!     Advance!     Advance!" 


The  Cowards  are  Weeded  Out 

and  the  Spanish  leader  was  becoming  seriously  alarmed. 
On  the  eighth  morning,  however,  an  Indian  runner  brought 
news  that  the  Spanish  captain  was  returning,  and  soon 
after  de  Soto  entered  the  quarters  of  the  white  men,  bring- 
ing with  him  a  richly  dressed  man  on  foot,  who  was  followed 
by  five  followers  of  apparently  inferior  rank,  and  several 
Indians  bearing  burdens. 

De  Soto  approached  Pizarro,  and  said  : 

"  They  received  me  well  at  Caxas  and  bade  me  await 
this  envoy,  who,  they  heard,  was  coming  to  meet  us.  He  is 
of  high  rank,  and  a  kinsman  of  the  king." 

The  Spanish  soldiers  looked  with  great  interest  on  this 
man.  He  was  of  medium  height,  clothed  in  robes  of  a 
deep  yellow,  ^\^th  a  rich  red  sash  about  his  waist,  indicat- 
ing his  rank.  In  his  ears  were  large  ornaments  of  pure 
gold,  which  hung  down  to  his  shoulders,  and  round  his 
forehead,  when  he  uncovered,  was  a  fillet.  His  feet  were  in 
sandals. 

The  lighter  colour  of  his  skin,  the  milder  and  rounder 
form  of  his  features  instantly  struck  the  Spaniards  ;  and 
they  realized  that  some  great  racial  difference  separated 
the  royal  family  or  tribe  from  the  mass  of  the  copper- 
skinned,  sharp-featured  Indians  over  which  they  ruled. 

Speaking  in  a  sonorous  and  pleasant  tone,  the  nobleman 
addressed  Pizarro,  and  was  interpreted  by  Felipillo. 

"  My  master,"  he  said,  "  the  Child  of  the  Sun,  king  of 
this  land,  and  lord  of  its  treasure,  sends  you  greeting.  He 
welcomes  you  to  his  country,  learning  as  he  has  that  you 
come  in  all  peacefulness,  and  he  invites  you  to  press  for- 
ward without  f^ar,  and  to  visit  him  at  his  camp  beyond 
the  mountains." 

Pizarro  guessed  that  this  messenger  was  sent  less  on  an 
errand  of  courtesy  than  to  find  out  the  character  of  the 

lOI 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

Spaniards,  their  strength  and  the  purpose  of  their  visit. 
Nevertheless,  he  rephed  courteously,  saying  that  he  looked 
forward  to  seeing  the  Inca  king,  and  would  press  on  with 
nil  speed  to  his  camp  beyond  the  mountains.  Then  Pizarro 
caused  the  Inca  messenger  to  be  entertained  in  the  best 
manner  the  camp  could  afford. 

The  Inca  nobleman  stayed  in  the  camp  all  that  day,  and 
the  whole  time  was  taken  up  in  conversations  between  him 
and  Pizarro,  through  the  medium  of  one  of  the  interpreters. 
He  was  full  of  curiosity  concerning  the  strange  beings 
about  him,  and  all  that  they  used  and  possessed  ;  his 
questions  were  endless,  but  Pizarro  satisfied  them  all. 

When  the  Inca  noble  departed,  the  Spanish  leader 
]}resented  him  with  a  cap  of  crimson  cloth,  some  showy 
ornaments  made  of  beads,  and  other  toys  brought  for  this 
purpose  from  Castile. 

"  Tell  your  master,"  said  Pizarro,  "  that  we  come  from 
a  powerful  and  munificent  prince  who  dwells  far  away 
];)evond  the  Great  Waters.  We  have  heard  much  of  the 
fame  of  Atahualpa,  your  king,  and  of  his  great  and  splendid 
conquest,  and  we  have  come  to  pay  our  respects  to  him, 
and  to  offer  him  our  services  in  aiding  him  against  his 
enemies.  Tell  him,  also,  that  we  will  hasten  upon  our 
road,  nor  will  we  delay  before  presenting  ourselves  before 
him." 

When  the  Inca  chief  had  departed  with  his  suite,  de 
Soto  gave  Pizarro  a  full  account  of  his  expedition. 

"  At  first,"  he  said,  "  when  we  approached  the  town  of 
Caxas,  the  army  there  was  put  in  hostile  array,  as  if  to 
contest  our  advance.  But  I  sent  Pedrillo  (an  Indian 
interpreter)  forward  with  a  peaceful  message,  and  per- 
suaded them  that  I  came  with  no  intent  of  war.  They 
quickly  laid  aside  their  menacing  attitude  and  received 

102 


The  Cowards  are  Weeded  Out 

us  with  all  kindness,  giving  us  good  quarters  and  fresh 
food  in  abundance. 

"  A  high  official  of  the  king  was  in  the  town,  who  was 
collecting  the  royal  tribute.  I  had  many  conversations 
with  him,  and  he  told  me  that  Atahualpa,  the  king,  is 
staying  with  a  great  army  at  a  camp  on  the  other  side  of 
these  mountains,  near  a  large  town  called  Caxamalca. 
There  he  is  taking  the  warm  baths  which  burst  from  the 
ground  there.  Many  things  also  have  I  learned  of  the 
government  of  these  people,  and  of  the  marvellous  order 
of  the  state,  which  I  will  tell  you  more  fully  aftei-wards. 

"  From  Caxas  we  passed  to  a  town  near  by  named 
Guancabamba,  and  that  is  excellently  well  built.  It  is 
much  larger,  more  populous  and  richer  than  Caxas.  The 
houses  are  not  made,  as  are  most  of  those  we  have  seen, 
of  clay  baked  in  the  sun,  but  of  solid  stone,  each  piece 
of  an  exceeding  bigness,  and  so  smoothly  wrought  and  so 
delicately  put  together  that  one  cannot  see  where  the  join 
lies  between  them.  A  river  passes  through  the  town,  and 
over  it  is  a  bridge  as  fine  as  any  you  could  find  in  Spain. 
On  our  way  to  this  city  we  came  upon  a  road  that  is  a 
marvel  to  see,  and  is  most  like  those  great  roads  of  the 
mighty  Romans  which  still  remain  to  us  in  many  parts 
of  Spain. 

"  It  is  raised  over  boggy  places  like  a  causeway,  is  paved 
with  heavy  stone  flags  and  bordered  by  trees,  while  in 
channels  beside  the  way  are  streams  of  water  at  which 
travellers  may  drink.  Here  and  there,  at  distances  of  a 
day's  journey,  are  rest-houses  where  wayfarers  may  stay 
at  night.  We  were  told  that  such  roads  as  these  extend 
from  the  north  to  the  south  of  this  land,  and  from  the 
east  to  the  west ;  so  that  hardly  Spain  itself  has  such 
roads  and  such  convenience  for  travelling. 

103 


The   Conquerors  of  Peru 

"  In  one  place  we  came  upon  a  great  building,  and  on 
inquiring  its  use,  we  were  told  that  it  held  many  sacks  of 
grain  and  much  cloth,  for  the  supply  of  the  army  ;  and 
it  was  said  that  such  stores  or  magazines  are  scattered 
everywhere  over  the  country. 

"  At  the  entrance  to  the  city  of  Guancabamba  we  came 
upon  a  stone  house  at  the  gate,  and  in  it  was  an  officer  of 
the  Inca,  and  his  duty  was  to  collect  the  tolls  or  duties  on 
the  various  commodities  brought  into  the  place.  Such 
tolls  are  paid  not  in  coin,  of  which  this  country  possesses 
none,  but  by  part  of  the  goods.  And  this  custom  I  was 
told  is  very  ancient. 

"  But  the  most  marvellous  thing  of  all  of  which  we  were 
told  was  concerning  a  vast  palace  which  we  saw  in  Guanca- 
bamba, in  the  midst  of  which  was  a  great  plaza  or  square. 
No  one  lived  in  that  palace  :  we  were  told  it  had  been 
shut  up  for  four  generations,  and  it  contained  gold  and 
many  treasures,  and  fine  cloth,  and  furniture,  and  apparel. 
This  was  the  palace  of  one  of  their  long-dead  kings,  and 
such  deserted  palaces,  filled  with  their  treasures,  are  to  be 
found  here  and  there  all  over  the  land.  Wlien  a  king 
dies,  all  his  palaces  are  shut  up,  together  mth  his  treasure, 
except  such  as  is  buried  with  him.  For  they  believe  that 
in  time  to  come,  the  soul  will  return  again  to  earth,  and 
it  will  reanimate  the  body,  and  live  again  in  the  places  it 
knew." 

Many  other  things  did  de  Soto  tell  of  what  he  had  learned. 
All  his  accounts  showed  the  power  and  civilization  of  the 
Incas,  and  Pizarro  and  those  who  heard  de  Soto's  account 
were  filled  with  wonder.  Yet  their  hearts  were  not  shaken  ; 
but  they  felt  confident  that,  in  some  way,  they  would  be 
able  to  overcome  the  great  might  of  this  heathen  kingdom. 

Having  learned  the  best  route  to  take  to  reach  Caxa- 

104 


The  Cowards  are   Weeded   Out 

malca — now  called  Caxamarca — ^where  the  Inca  king  was 
staying,  Pizarro  continued  his  advance.  After  some  days 
they  reached  a  broad  and  deep  river,  with  a  rapid  current, 
which  it  was  necessary  they  should  cross. 

Pizarro  feared  that  the  natives  of  a  village  they  saw  on 
the  opposite  bank  might  contest  their  passage,  and  there- 
fore he  ordered  his  brother  Hernando,  with  a  detachment 
of  cavalry,  to  swim  their  horses  across  and  secure  a  safe 
landing  for  the  rest  of  the  troops.  This  was  done  at  night, 
and  the  cavaliers  landed  safely  and  encamped  where  the 
main  body  would  probably  land  on  the  morrow. 

Next  day  Pizarro  and  his  men  made  preparations  for 
their  o%vn  crossing.  They  hewed  do^vn  trees  in  the  forest 
near  by  and  made  a  huge  raft,  Pizarro  himself  working  as 
hard  as  any,  being  ever  ready  with  a  cheerful  word  in  the 
midst  of  the  unusual  toil.  All  day  they  worked,  the  task 
being  long  and  severe  ;  but  before  nightfall  the  whole 
army  was  safely  transported  to  the  other  side,  the  horses 
swimming,  their  bridles  being  held  by  the  cavaliers  on  the 
raft. 

Reaching  the  camp  of  his  brother  Hernando,  Pizarro 
received  disquieting  news. 

"  When  we  went  to  the  village  this  morning,"  the  elder 
man  reported,  "instead  of  being  received  with  courtesy, 
as  has  been  the  case  hitherto,  the  people  seemed  to  look 
upon  us  as  things  of  terror,  and,  with  cries  of  fear,  fled  from 
their  houses.  One,  however,  we  caught,  but  he  would  tell 
us  nothing  until  we  put  him  to  the  torture.  Then  he  said 
that  Atahualpa,  the  Inca  monarch,  is  encamped  with  all 
his  army  on  the  plains  of  Caxamalca  ;  that  he  knows  the 
smallness  of  our  number,  and  is  decoying  us  into  his 
power,  so  as  completely  to  destroy  us." 

Pizarro  hid  his  anxiety  from  his  men,  but  next  day  gave 

105 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

no  orders  to  advance.  He  bade  the  friendly  Indians  with 
him  go  into  the  forest  whitlier  the  villagers  had  fled  and 
tell  them  how  peaceable  were  the  intentions  of  the  white 
men.  The  result  was  that  soon  a  good  many  of  the  natives 
came  into  the  camp,  and  among  them  the  head-man,  or 
ciiraca,  of  the  village  presented  himself. 

On  being  questioned  as  to  where  the  Inca  king  was 
stationed,  he  replied  : 

"  His  Majesty  is  lying  at  the  strong  town  of  Guama- 
chucho,  some  twenty  leagues  south  of  Caxamalca,  with  an 
army  of  some  fifty  thousand  men.  I  have  seen  their 
white  tents  with  my  own  eyes,  and  their  number  is  almost 
as  the  stars  by  night." 

Perplexed  by  these  contradictory  statements,  Pizarro 
proposed  to  one  of  the  friendly  Indians  who  had  attached 
himself  to  the  Spaniards,  that  he  should  go  to  the  camp 
of  Atahualpa. 

"  I  will  go  for  the  white  lord,"  said  the  Indian,  "  not  as 
a  spy,  but  as  his  messenger  to  the  king." 

"  Be  it  so,"  said  Pizarro  ;  "  assure  the  Inca  that  I  am 
advancing  with  all  possible  speed  to  meet  him.  Tell  him 
with  what  friendliness  and  courtesy  we  have  ever  been 
received  by  his  subjects,  and  assure  him  that  we  rely  on 
the  same  friendliness  and  kindness  from  him." 

"  This  I  will  do,"  said  the  Indian,  "  and  will  faithfully 
carry  the  seiior's  words  to  the  king." 

"  But  further,"  went  on  Pizarro,  "  as  you  go  on  your 
way  keep  your  eyes  clear,  and  observe  if  the  strong  passes 
on  the  road  are  defended,  or  if  in  any  way  your  master  or 
his  servants  prepare  to  make  war  upon  us.  Take  three 
runners  with  you,  and  send  them  back  to  me  with  any  news 
of  these  things." 

"  All  this  will  I  do,"  said  the  Indian  ;  and  choosing  three 

io6 


The  Cowards  are  Weeded  Out 

of  his  countrymen,  the  four  red  men,  with  their  meagre 
provisions  in  wallets  at  their  waists,  set  off  in  a  quiet  trot 
toward  the  mountains  which,  with  their  tops  swathed  in 
purple  mist,  could  be  seen  towering  into  the  skies  toward 
the  east. 

Then  Pizarro  gave  orders  to  advance  upon  their  road. 
For  three  days  they  marched  through  rising  land,  until  at 
length  they  saw  before  them  the  stupendous  flanks  of  the 
great  Andes,  which  they  must  now  cross. 

The  hearts  of  the  soldiers  almost  failed  at  the  thought 
that  they  must  scale  those  awful  walls  of  rock,  and  as  they 
marched  they  scanned  gloomily  the  towering  limbs  of  the 
mountains.  At  the  foot  were  deep,  dense  forests,  which 
climbed  the  declivities,  broken  here  and  there  by  patches 
of  open  land  where  the  Peruvians,  patient  and  wise,  had 
carved  the  rocky  soil  into  terraces  where  maize  and 
potatoes  grew,  the  cottages  of  the  laborious  farmers  being 
perched  like  swallows'  nests  beneath  the  eaves  of  frowning 
cliff  and  hanging  shelves  of  rock. 

Above  this  belt  of  forest  and  field  came  dizzy  slopes  of 
stunted  trees,  and  higher  still  was  the  barren  rock,  where 
nothing  seemed  to  grow.  Then,  when  the  eyes  of  the 
soldiers  rose  still  farther,  and  noted  where  the  sheets  of 
snow  lay  glistening  in  the  sunlight,  with  here  and  there 
the  flash  of  ice  from  a  glacier,  their  hearts  sank,  and  they 
thought  that  the  labour  and  the  toil  required  of  them  was 
too  much. 

They  spoke  of  it  among  themselves  as  they  marched. 
"  We  shall  never  gain  the  other  side,"  said  some  de- 
spondently.    "  Torrents  will  sweep  us  from  our  feet  into 
terrible  chasms,  the  snow  will  engulf  us  or  the  icy  cold  will 
freeze  the  blood  in  our  veins,  and  we  shall  sleep  and  die." 
"  More  likely,"  growled  others  in  their  beards,  "  we 

107 


The  Conquerors   of  Peru 

shall  be  cooped  up  in  some  narrow  pass,  and  the  javelins 
and  rocks  of  the  Peruvians  will  slay  us  to  a  man." 

"  Our  bones  will  bleach  to  the  sun  after  the  carrion 
birds  have  picked  them  clean,"  said  others,  "  and  that  is 
all  we  shall  get  for  all  these  months  of  toil  and  dangers." 

"  Croakers,  all  of  ye  !  "  cried  men  of  brisker  heart. 
"  Tell  our  brave  captain  all  your  fears,  and  he  will  send 
you  back  to  hoe  onions  at  San  Miguel.  He  only  wants 
men  at  his  back." 

Then  suddenly  the  little  army  saw,  stretching  away  to 
right  and  left  of  them,  a  broad,  smooth  highway,  flagged 
and  channelled,  with  great  trees  along  its  sides  shading 
it  from  the  glare  and  heat  of  the  tropical  sun. 

The  men  all  tramped  on  to  the  hard  surface  and  stopped, 
looking  this  way  and  that  along  the  green  avenue,  which 
seemed  to  invite  them  to  leave  their  daring  and  toilsome 
attempt  to  cross  the  mountains,  and  to  lure  them  along 
its  smooth  surface  away  to  more  pleasant  and  easier 
places. 

"  Let  us  go  this  way  !  "  cried  some.  "  It  will  save  our 
strength  and  we  shall  find  more  treasure  in  the  towns 
along  its  sides  than  in  the  mountains." 

Pizarro,  with  his  officers  and  the  cavalry,  had  already 
passed  across  the  road  into  the  broken  land  dividing  it 
from  the  mountains  ;  but  he  turned  back  his  horse  at 
the  cries  and  rode  to  where  the  men  were  talking.  They 
told  him  what  they  desired,  and  why. 

"  Nay,  lads,"  he  said,  with  a  frank  laugh.  "  The  road 
has  a  pleasanter  look,  I  grant  you  ;  but  our  way  lies 
not  along  it.  The  road  runs  to  Cuzco.  Certainly  we  shall 
get  there  anon  ;  but  now,  hark  ye,  we  have  everywhere 
proclaimed  that  we  intend  to  visit  the  Inca  in  his  camp. 
The  Inca  himself  has  our  message  to  that  purport,  and 

io8 


The   Cowards  are   Weeded   Out 

the  meanest  Indian  bearer  knows  it.  What  will  they  say 
if  now  we  turn  aside  ?  That  we  are  cowards  !  Why,  the 
very  porters  and  scullions  will  scorn  us,  and  the  terror  of 
our  name  and  of  our  arms  will  be  naught  against  the 
contempt  of  the  whole  nation.  Nay,  lads,"  he  said, 
seeing  that  already  some  had  stepped  out  to  join  the  fore- 
most troops,  while  others  still  seemed  to  waver,  "  you 
know  in  your  hearts  there  is  no  other  course  for  brave  men 
but  to  scale  these  sierras  and  visit  the  Inca,  and  thus  show 
him  we  fear  him  not  nor  his  fifty  thousand  warriors." 

The  last  man  who  had  hesitated  now  hastened  to  cross 
the  road  and  join  his  fellows,  and,  turning  to  all  his  army, 
Pizarro  cried  in  ringing  tones  : 

"  Let  every  one  of  you  take  good  heart,  do  as  men  ex- 
pect of  you,  and  bravely,  as  good  Spaniards  are  wont  to 
do.  Have  no  fear  of  the  smallness  of  your  numbers  nor 
of  the  multitude  of  the  heathens.  Think  ye,  that  however 
great  is  the  power  of  the  enemy,  the  power  of  God  is  much 
greater  ;  and  He  is  wont  to  aid  his  children  in  their  need, 
so  that  the  pride  of  the  heathen  is  put  down." 

The  splendid  sincerity  in  Pizarro's  untutored  words 
awoke  an  answering  thrill  in  every  soldier.  All  felt  that 
in  him  spoke  a  heart  that  understood  them,  felt  with  their 
sorrows,  disappointments  and  weariness  of  toil  ;  but  also 
they  knew  that  his  simple  words  had  shown  them  their 
plain  duty. 

A  great  shout  arose  from  them  and  echoed  and  re-echoed 
in  the  clefts  of  the  mountains  beside  them. 

"  Lead  on  !  "  they  cried.  "  We  will  go  where  you  lead 
us  with  a  good  will  !     For  God  and  the  king,  lead  on  !  " 

Instantly  Pizarro  rode  to  the  head  of  his  army,  and,  led 
by  one  of  the  friendly  Indians,  in  a  little  while  they  were 
threading  the  first  narrow  pass  through  the  mountains. 

log 


CHAPTER    VIII 

A   Meeting   with  the  Inca 

THAT  night  the  band  of  Spaniards  camped  hi  an 
open  place  on  the  side  of  the  mountain.  There 
Pizarro,  before  they  retired  to  rest,  held  a  council 
of  his  chief  officers,  and  it  was  decided  that  he  should  lead 
the  advance,  and,  with  forty  horse  and  sixty  foot,  should 
reconnoitre  the  road.  The  rest  of  the  company,  under  the 
command  of  his  brother  Hernando,  was  to  remain  where 
it  was  until  Pizarro  sent  further  instructions. 

At  break  of  day  Pizarro  and  his  men  started,  and  now 
the  difficulties  of  the  ascent  began  to  show  themselves. 
They  could  not  but  confess  that  the  path  had  been  wisely 
engmeered  ;  but  so  toilsome  was  it  in  many  places  that 
even  those  of  the  soldiers  who  hailed  from  the  mountainous 
provinces  of  Spain  alleged  that  never  had  they  known 
such  steep  ascents  or  perilous  corners. 

Often  the  path  would  wind  on  a  ledge  around  the  mighty 
flank  of  a  mountain,  and  so  narrow  was  the  way  that  the 
horseman  would  have  to  dismount  and,  pressing  closely 
to  the  face  of  the  rock,  lead  his  horse  by  the  bridle,  the 
cavalier  praying  to  all  the  saints  for  sure  foothold  of  man 
and  beast.  The  rugged  path  was  often  scarcely  wide 
enough  for  a  naked  Indian  ;  and  the  soldiers,  encumbered 
by  their  coats  of  mail  or  quilted  cotton  jerkins,  had  the 
fear  of  a  dreadful  death  constantly  before  their  eyes. 
Every  step  was  made  witli  care  in  these  narrow  places,  for 

no 


The  horseman  would    have   to  lead  his  horse 


A   Meeting  with   the   Inca 

a  slipping  foothold  would  have  precipitated  the  unwary 
man  hundreds  of  feet  down  the  dreadful  abyss  that  yawned 
beside  the  way,  at  the  bottom  of  which  roared  a  torrent, 
strangled  in  a  narrow  fissure  in  the  rocks. 

When,  as  was  frequently  the  case,  they  passed  thus 
toilsomely  around  a  bend,  they  could  see  the  narrow  ledge 
climbing  ever  upward  far  before  them,  until  it  disappeared 
into  a  defile  in  the  rocks.  Then  every  heart  beat  the  more 
quickly  as  each  step  brought  them  nearer  to  the  dark 
mouth  of  the  hollow  way. 

Every  moment  they  expected  to  see  a  cloud  of  javelins 
or  arrows  burst  from  the  gloomy  cleft,  and  to  see  one  or 
other  of  their  comrades  fall  from  the  narrow  path,  and 
turn  and  turn  with  spread  limbs  as  he  fell  down  into  the 
sickening  deeps  below. 

A  dozen  warriors,  stationed  at  any  one  of  such  places, 
could  have  held  the  Spaniards  at  their  mercy — could  have 
picked  them  off  one  by  one  as  they  pressed  against  the 
wall  of  rock.  The  Spaniards  knew  this  well,  and  breathed 
more  easily,  and  wondered  greatly  as  each  such  perilous 
point  was  reached  and  left  behind. 

Suddenly,  as  the  line  of  men  was  winding  its  way  up  a 
steep  and  gloomy  gorge  among  the  rocks,  those  in  the  rear 
heard  whispers  from  their  comrades  before  them,  and  the 
long  file  of  men  and  horses  checked  for  a  moment. 

"  What  is  it  ?  "  was  the  question  which  ran  from  mouth 
to  mouth. 

Soon  came  the  whispered  words  along  the  line  : 

"  At  the  head  of  the  gorge  is  a  fortress.  The  marquis 
bids  us  close  up  and  go  warily,  with  arms  ready." 

The  pass  opened  a  little  at  the  top  into  a  large  space 
between  the  rocky  cliffs,  and  there,  as  the  Spaniards 
crowded  up  together,  they  saw  strong  walls  of  great  dark 

III 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

stones,  the  narrow  track  passing  immediately  beneath 
the  gloomy  and  silent  window-like  apertures  in  the 
masonry. 

As  they  watched,  they  expected  every  moment  to  see 
the  tops  of  the  walls  suddenly  bristle  with  dusky  figures, 
and  to  see  a  cloud  of  javelins  fly  toward  them.  But  the 
moments  passed  ;  the  line  of  sunlight  moved  a  little  way 
along  the  rocky  wall  far  up  above  the  pass  ;  and  silence 
reigned. 

"  Advance  with  weapons  ready  and  bucklers  before  you," 
said  Pizarro. 

At  the  word  of  command  the  men  formed  in  two  lines 
and  advanced  to  the  walls  of  the  fortress.  A  great  door 
yawned  at  the  side  where  the  track  ran,  and,  looking  into 
the  dark  interior,  Pizarro  and  those  beside  him  saw  that 
the  place  was  empty. 

Entering  it,  they  found  it  consisted  of  one  big  room, 
with  sleeping-places  in  cavities  formed  in  the  walls  ;  and 
in  one  comer  a  flight  of  stone  steps  led  up  to  the  top  of  the 
fortress.  Search  was  made  narrowly,  but  not  a  living 
creature  was  discovered,  and  it  seemed  long  since  it  had 
been  occupied. 

The  Spaniards  had  advanced  in  gloomy  silence  ;  but 
now,  as  the  men  ran  through  the  echoing  place,  laughter 
and  jests  rang  out  among  them. 

"  It  seems,"  said  one,  "  that  the  heathen  king  really 
means  well  by  us." 

"  Ay,"  said  another  grimly,  "  his  gods  have  made  him 
mad,  I  think,  or  he  would  not  have  missed  this  chance  of 
scotching  us  before  we  bite  him." 

Others  sneered  at  the  last  speaker  for  a  croaker,  and 
commended  the  Inca  king's  fair  dealing. 

"  'Twould  have  been  easy  for  a  handful  of  his  men  to 

112 


A   Meeting  with   the   Inca 

have  held  us  back  at  fifty  places  on  the  road,  to  say  no- 
thing of  this  place,"  said  another.  "  But  it  seems  that 
he  intends  not  to  act  the  traitor  to  us." 

This  was  the  conviction  of  the  Spaniards  generally,  and 
their  spirits  rose  in  consequence. 

Pizarro  then  ordered  two  of  the  friendly  Indians  to 
return  to  the  main  body  under  Hernando  and  tell  them  to 
follow  him  at  once.  When  his  men  had  partaken  of  their 
midday  meal,  Pizarro  continued  his  toilsome  climbing 
until,  as  a  deeper  twilight  began  to  sink  into  the  gorges 
of  the  mountains,  they  reached  an  outstanding  eminence, 
on  which  was  found  another  forsaken  fortress. 

This  was  larger  and  stronger  than  the  first ;  its  lower 
part  was  hewn  from  the  living  rock,  the  upper  walls  being 
made  of  huge  blocks  of  stone  so  cleverly  joined  that  the 
junction  could  scarcely  be  discovered. 

So  well  was  this  built  that  the  officers,  after  examining 
it  thoroughly,  confessed  that  the  best  engineers  of  Spain 
could  not  have  done  better. 

In  this  Pizarro  and  his  men  took  up  their  quarters  for 
the  night  ;  and  the  gloomy  walls  knew  the  warmth  and 
light  of  fires  again,  and  the  cheerful  voices  of  men.  It 
was  bitterly  cold,  and  the  horses,  which  had  already  begun 
to  show  signs  of  suffering  from  the  changed  climate  during 
the  day,  were  brought  in  and  tethered  in  one  of  the  large 
chambers  of  the  fortress. 

Next  morning,  without  waiting  for  the  rearguard, 
Pizarro  determined  to  push   still  farther  on  his  way. 

As  they  climbed  still  higher  they  found  that  vegetation 
became  scantier.  The  forests  that  clothed  the  lower 
slopes  with  tropical  magnificence  had  long  since  been 
left  behind,  and  they  had  now  entered  a  region  where  they 
met  with  no  terraces  such  as  they  had  seen  below,  carved 
M  113 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

from  the  rock  by  the  patient  labour  of  the  Indians,  who 
covered  them  with  earth  brought  toilsomely  from  the 
more  fertile  lower  slopes. 

As  they  pushed  on,  climbing  mile  after  mile  toward  the 
sky,  the  sombre  forests  of  pine  were  left  behind,  and  in  their 
place  were  stunted  Alpine  plants  that  rose  but  a  little  way 
above  the  starved  and  rocky  soil.  Soon  these  gave  place 
to  hungry  moss  and  lichen,  which  clung  to  but  did  not 
entirely  cover  the  black  surface. 

The  dreary  solitudes  seemed  utterly  devoid  of  life,  both 
human  and  brute.  Occasionally,  however,  they  saw  on 
some  inaccessible  pinnacle  in  the  distance  a  creature  like  a 
goat,  the  vicufia  ;  and  instead  of  the  multitudinous  life  of 
birds  in  glorious  plumage  which  they  were  accustomed  to 
see  flitting  like  living  lights  in  the  dark  forests  of  the 
plains,  they  saw  now  only  the  giant  condor  sailing  high 
in  the  blue  above  them  on  motionless  pinions.  From  time 
to  time  the  great  bird  gave  a  doleful  cry,  and  seemed  to 
follow  them,  as  if  already  it  scented  the  carnage  that  soon 
would  lie  in  the  track  of  the  conquerors. 

At  length  they  reached  the  topmost  summit  of  the  pass, 
and  emerged  upon  a  bare  bleak  plateau,  not  so  high  as  the 
snow-level,  which  they  saw  lying  on  still  higher  peaks 
towering  into  the  frosty  air,  but  yet  sufficiently  elevated 
to  be  the  meeting-place  of  every  bitter  wind  that  blew 
from  the  fields  of  eternal  snow. 

In  this  place  their  feet  struck  the  living  rock  of  the 
mountain  unmasked  by  any  vegetation,  except  a  short, 
stunted  yellow  grass  which,  as  they  could  see,  encircled 
the  base  of  the  snow-covered  peaks  near  by,  looking, 
where  it  lay  lit  up  by  the  rays  of  the  ardent  sun,  like  a 
setting  of  gold  round  pinnacles  of  dazzling  white. 

It  was  in  the  aflernoon  when  they  reached  this  point, 

114 


A   Meeting  with   the   Inca 

and  setting  up  their  cotton  tents,  they  lit  fires  before  the 
openings  and  tried  to  warm  themselves  and  to  sleep.  The 
night  was  so  severe  that  all  averred  that  never  was  such 
cold  to  be  felt  in  the  mountains  of  Spain  even  in  winter. 

While  men  thus  tried  to  sleep,  the  sharp  challenge  of  a 
sentry  was  heard,  and  an  Indian  was  seen  approaching 
the  camp  from  the  east.  He  was  quickly  recognized  as 
one  of  the  runners  who  had  gone  with  the  Indian  emissary 
to  Atahualpa.  He  was  led  before  Pizarro  and  gave  his 
report. 

"  Sefior,"  he  said,  "  the  passes  are  clear  to  the  foot  of 
the  mountains,  and  the  roads  also  even  to  the  camp  of  the 
Child  of  the  Sun.  As  I  came  hither  I  passed  an  embassy 
which  the  Inca  sends,  with  his  words  of  greeting  unto 
you." 

Pizarro  instantly  gave  order  that  two  of  the  Indians 
should  go  back  to  his  brother  Hernando,  bidding  him  and 
the  main  body  to  hasten,  so  as  to  receive  the  Inca's  em- 
bassy ;  for  Pizarro  did  not  wish  the  king's  messenger  to 
find  him  with  so  few  followers. 

The  rest  of  the  army  was  not  far  behind,  and  very  soon 
reached  the  encampment. 

Soon  afterward  the  embassy  from  the  Inca  was  seen 
approaching,  and  when  the  party  met  Pizarro  standing 
before  his  men,  who  all  stood  with  their  arms  displayed, 
the  astonishment  of  the  Inca  nobleman  at  the  sight  of  the 
European  soldiers  was  evident. 

By  means  of  the  interpreter  Pedrillo,  the  Peruvian 
noble  delivered  his  message.  His  master,  he  said,  wished 
to  know  when  the  Spaniards  would  arrive  at  Caxamalca, 
so  that  he  might  provide  a  fitting  welcome  and  refresh- 
ment for  them.  Pizarro  replied,  saying  he  would  make 
all  speed,  and  would  probably  arrive  in  eight  days. 

115 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

Pizarro  and  the  Inca  noble  had  a  long  conversation,  in 
the  course  of  which  Pizarro  learnt  where  the  Lica  was  now 
encamped,  and  also  obtained  much  information  concerning 
the  late  wars. 

The  Inca  noble  began  to  vaunt  the  military  prowess 
and  exploits  of  his  master,  saying  how  many  cities  he  had 
sacked,  what  enemies  he  had  slain,  and  recounting  the 
battles  he  had  won.  He  also  spoke  boastingly  of  the  power 
of  the  Inca,  the  treasure  he  possessed,  the  army  he  com- 
manded, and  the  famous  generals  who  led  his  legions  for 
him. 

Pizarro  thought  it  wise  to  show  that  the  recital  of  the 
Inca  noble  had  no  power  to  overawe  him. 

"  Doubtless,"  he  replied,  "  your  master  is  a  wise  and 
brave  chieftain,  and  his  prowess  has  raised  him  high  among 
the  names  of  Indian  chiefs  whom  we  have  met.  But,"  he 
continued,  "  compared  to  the  monarch  who  rules  over  the 
land  whence  I  come,  he  is  as  inferior  as  the  j^ettiest  curaca 
is  to  your  Inca.  My  king  is  so  potent  in  arms,  and  his 
warriors  are  so  wise  in  warcraft,  that  a  few  hundreds  of 
them  have  conquered  many  kingdoms  throughout  this 
great  continent.  I  have  heard  of  the  fame  of  your  king, 
and  it  has  led  me  to  come  hither  to  offer  my  services 
to  him  against  his  enemies." 

The  Inca  lord  seemed  impressed  by  the  high  claims  made 
by  Pizarro  on  behalf  of  his  monarch,  and  said  no  more 
concerning  the  Inca  king. 

Next  day  the  Spaniards  continued  their  advance,  spend- 
ing two  days  in  travelling  across  the  plateau.  When  they 
were  about  to  begin  the  descent  of  the  mountains  on 
the  eastern  side,  another  embassy  met  them,  whom  they 
recognized  as  the  man  who  had  seen  them  at  Zaran,  on 
the  western  side.     He  came  in  greater  state  than  before, 

ii6 


A   Meeting  with   the   Inca 

dressed  in  richer  clothes  and  accompanied  by  a  more 
numeix)us  retinue,  and  as  he  approached  the  camp  of  the 
Spaniards  he  quaffed  the  wine  of  the  country  from  goblets 
of  pure  gold,  which  flashed  in  the  sun,  and  at  which  the 
eyes  of  the  freebooters  gleamed  eagerly. 

While  he  was  speaking  to  Pizarro,  the  friendly  Indian 
whom  Pizarro  had  sent  as  an  embassy  to  the  Inca  came 
into  camp  ;  and  as  he  looked  at  the  ceremonious  reception 
granted  to  the  Peruvian  noble  his  fierce  eyes  flashed  and 
his  face  was  twisted  with  rage.  He  dashed  toward  the 
noble  as  if  he  would  drive  the  axe  in  his  hand  into  the  brain 
of  the  Inca's  messenger.  But  some  of  the  soldiers  checked 
and  held  him. 

"  Why,  my  white  lords,"  he  cried,  "  do  you  receive  this 
Peruvian  dog  with  such  courtesy,  when  I,  who  was  your 
embassy  to  the  Inca,  have  nearly  lost  my  life  on  my 
mission  ?  " 

They  asked  him  what  had  happened,  and  when  he  was 
a  little  recovered  he  reported  the  result  of  his  journey. 

"  When  I  reached  the  camp  of  the  Inca,"  he  said,  "  I 
was  refused  permission  to  approach  him,  for  they  said  he 
was  keeping  a  fast  and  would  see  no  strangers.  I  told 
them  I  came  as  a  special  messenger  from  the  white  men, 
but  they  cared  not  for  that,  and  hardly  would  I  have 
escaped  with  my  life  if  I  had  not  said  that  if  they  slew  me, 
their  own  messengers  would  be  slain  by  you.  I  doubt 
not,"  he  went  on,  "  that  Atahualpa  has  treachery  in  his 
mind  toward  you,  my  white  friends.  He  has  fifty  thousand 
troops  about  him." 

"What  say  you  to  this?  "  asked  Pizarro  of  the  Inca  noble. 

The  aristocrat  looked  scornfully  at  the  enraged  Indian, 
and  said  : 

"  This  fool  speaks  according  to  his  folly.     Did  he  think 

117 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

the  guards  of  the  Incn  would  take  the  mere  assertion  of 
any  base  Indian  slave  that  he  was  the  envoy  of  the  white 
men,  if  he  bore  no  sign  from  them  to  show  the  truth  of  his 
words  ?  As  to  the  fast  which  my  master  is  observing,  that 
is  true  ;  but  if  he  had  known  there  was  a  messenger  from 
the  white  men  he  might  have  seen  him.  As  to  the  warriors 
about  him,  my  master  has  hardly  completed  a  heavy  war. 
Is  it  not  the  merest  wisdom  that  he  should  still  keep  a 
large  army  in  readiness  for  any  outbreak  of  his  enemies  ?  " 

Pizarro  did  not  wholly  believe  the  words  of  the  Inca 
nobleman,  and  was  not  convinced  of  the  honesty  of 
Atahualpa's  intention  ;  but  he  wished  to  keep  on  friendly 
terms  with  him,  and  therefore  he  made  a  pretence  of 
believing  this  explanation. 

"  Return  to  your  master,"  he  said,  "  and  convey  to  him 
my  assurances  that  with  evei*y  possible  speed  I  will 
present  myself  before  him  to  offer  my  personal  greetings 
and  services." 

Next  day  Pizarro  and  his  men  l:)egan  the  descent  of  the 
Andes  on  the  eastern  side.  The  way  was  not  so  steep,  but 
the  difficulties  were  little  less  on  the  whole  than  those  met 
with  in  the  ascent,  and  it  occupied  them  seven  days  to 
reach  the  lower  slopes. 

Then  suddenly,  one  morning,  as  they  turned  a  bend  of 
the  pass,  an  immensity  of  lovely  country  burst  upon  their 
sight.  A  wide,  long  valley,  filled  with  green  fields  and 
orchards  lay  below  them,  with  gleaming  rivers  running 
through  the  fertile  land. 

Villages  nestled  here  and  there,  white  houses  peeped 
between  trees,  and  every  rood  of  ground  seemed  carefully 
cultivated  between  hedges  in  which  lovely  flowers  bloomed. 

Over  all  was  the  radiant  sunlight  of  the  tropical  day. 

Immediately  below  them  in  the  valley  lay  the  little  city 

u8 


A   Meeting  with  the   Inca 

of  Caxamalca,  the  white  walls  of  its  fortress  and  temple 
rising  proudly  from  among  the  lines  of  smaller  houses 
forming  its  streets.  Here  and  there  amidst  the  dwellings 
were  large  open  spaces,  the  courtyards  of  the  houses  of 
the  Inca  noblemen. 

Across  the  valley  into  which  they  looked,  from  between 
a  collection  of  walls,  rose  great  columns  of  vapour  con- 
tinually billowing  and  disappearing  into  the  sunlit  air. 
This,  the  Spaniards  knew,  marked  the  place  of  the  natural 
hot  baths,  where,  as  the  envoys  had  told  them,  the  Inca 
king  was  staying. 

Beyond  the  baths  was  a  sight  at  which  the  faces  of  the 
Spaniards  became  grave,  for  along  the  slope  of  the  hills 
rose  a  white  cloud  of  tents,  gleaming  like  snowflakes  in  the 
sun,  for  the  space,  as  it  seemed,  of  some  miles. 

"  Never  have  we  seen  Indians  with  so  proud  an  array  as 
that !  "  said  Hernando  de  Soto,  in  a  low  voice,  to  Pizarro, 
whose  face,  however,  revealed  nothing  of  what  he  thought. 

"  So  many  tents  in  such  order  were  never  seen  before 
in  the  Indies,"  said  one  of  the  older  cavaliers. 

Men  looked  from  one  to  the  other  with  swift  glances. 
All  felt  that  something  akin  to  fear  had  been  created  in  the 
hearts  of  each  man  at  the  knowledge  of  the  overwhelming 
force  arrayed  against  them. 

For  that  very  reason,  however,  and  simply  because 
things  looked  so  hopeless,  the  Spaniards  put  on  a  brave 
face.  They  knew  that  if  now  they  showed  hesitation  or 
doubt  in  themselves,  the  very  Indians  who  were  marching 
with  them,  and  who,  in  common  with  all  the  natives  who 
had  seen  or  heard  of  them,  looked  upon  the  white  men  as 
creatures  of  godlike  power — these  would  lose  all  fear  of 
them  and  would  turn  upon  them. 

Quietly  Pizarro  gave  his  orders,  and  the  little  band  of 

iiq 


The   Conquerors  of  Peru 

about  one  hundred  and  seventy  men  descended  the  short 
inter v^ening  slope  of  the  sierras  and  emerged  into  the  valley. 
At  a  leisurely  pace  the  Spaniards  marched  toward  the  city, 
the  outskirts  of  which  they  reached  when  the  afternoon 
was  already  half  spent. 

As  the  soldiery  tramped  through  the  place,  no  faces 
appeared  at  the  doors,  and  no  one  walked  the  streets.  The 
town  was  utterly  deserted.  It  was  of  large  size,  with 
numerous  well-built  houses,  containing  accommodation 
for  ten  thousand  inhabitants.  They  passed  through 
the  principal  square,  on  one  side  of  which  was  reared  an 
imposing  building  with  strange  carvings  on  the  great 
stones  forming  its  front.  This,  their  interpreters  told 
them,  was  a  convent  in  M^hich  lived  the  Virgins  of  the  Sun. 

Pizarro  ordered  a  halt  as  soon  as  they  arrived  at  the 
outskirts  of  the  town  nearest  the  Inca  camp.  Here  they 
found  a  great  triangular  courtyard  surrounded  by  low 
buildings,  which  seemed  designed  for  use  as  a  barracks. 
Checking  his  men  in  the  parade  ground,  he  called  Hernando 
de  Soto  to  him  and  said  : 

"  I  am  anxious  to  learn  what  is  the  disposition  of  the 
Inca  toward  us.  Go,  choose  fifteen  of  the  best  horsemen, 
and  with  Felipillo,  ride  forward  to  the  camp.  Acquaint 
the  king  with  my  arrival  and  invite  him  to  visit  me  here 
in  the  morning,  when  I  design  to  offer  my  services  to  him. 
Above  all,  treat  the  Inca  and  his  men  with  courtesy  and 
dignity." 

De  Soto  saluted,  chose  fifteen  of  the  horsemen,  and  the 
party  trotted  out  of  the  courtyard.  Those  who  remained 
dismounted,  and  with  the  foot  soldiers  began  to  prepare 
their  quarters.  The  weather,  which  had  been  fair  through- 
out the  day,  now  threatened  a  storm  ;  it  became  bitterly 
cold,  and  rain  and  hail  began  to  fall. 

120 


A   Meeting  with   the   Inca 

Pizarro  remained  seated  on  his  horse  for  some  minutes 
after  de  Soto  and  his  troop  had  gone.  Suddenly  he 
summoned  his  brother  Hernando  to  his  side. 

"  Choose  twenty  troopers,"  he  said.  "  I  think  the  fifteen 
with  de  Soto  are  two  few,  in  case  the  Indians  prove  hostile. 
Quick  and  follow  him." 

Instantly,  at  Hernando's  call,  twenty  cavaliers  drew 
out  their  horses,  and,  vaulting  on  their  backs,  the  troop 
followed  after  de  Soto,  whom  they  caught  up  in  a  few 
minutes. 

They  found  that  a  well-built  causeway  connected  the 
city  with  the  camp  of  the  king.  Along  this  the  cavalry 
galloped  at  a  rapid  pace,  and  after  going  some  three  miles, 
they  found  themselves  nearing  the  camp  of  the  Peruvians 
on  the  slope  of  the  hills.  They  saw  the  lances  of  the  Indian 
warriors  stuck  in  the  ground  before  the  openings  of  the 
tents,  while  the  men  themselves  came  together  in  large 
masses  and  watched  the  strange  sight  of  the  European 
warriors  in  coats  of  armour,  approaching  them  on  strange 
animals  which  went  as  swiftly  as  the  wind,  while,  at  the 
same  time,  the  blast  of  a  trumpet  and  the  clang  of  their 
arms  announced  their  approach. 

Just  before  the  camp  of  the  Inca  was  a  wide,  shallow 
stream,  across  which  a  wooden  bridge  was  built.  Dis- 
trusting its  strength,  the  two  leaders  preferred  to  take  to 
the  water,  and  rode  swiftly  across,  tossing  up  the  water 
as  they  passed  through. 

Reaching  the  bank,  the  Spaniards  saw  before  them  a 
battalion  of  Indian  warriors,  drawn  up  under  arms.  They 
stood  motionless,  and  gave  no  sign  of  opposition  as  the 
white  men  advanced.  An  officer  stood  before  the  ranks, 
and  Hernando  Pizarro  bade  Felipillo  ask  him  the  way  to 
the  quarters  of  the  Inca. 

121 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

The  Inca  officer  courteously  }X)inted  out  the  direction, 
and  the  Spaniards  went  forward. 

They  soon  found  themselves  in  front  of  an  imposing 
body  of  some  hundreds  of  richly  dressed  courtiers,  who  were 
standing  motionless  about  a  mar;  seated  on  a  low  stool  or 
cushion.  This  was  the  Inca,  of  whose  ability  and  keen- 
ness of  mind  the  Spaniards  had  heard  so  much.  His  face 
was  handsome,  except  for  his  eyes,  which  were  bloodshot, 
and  his  head  was  larger  than  usual. 

His  dress  was  simpler  than  that  of  any  of  those  standing 
about  him  ;  but  on  his  head  was  the  sign  of  sovereignty  in 
the  shape  of  a  crimson  fringe,  which  encircled  the  head  and 
hung  down  as  low  as  the  eyebrows.  He  had  worn  this 
sign  of  supreme  power  only  since  his  defeat  of  his  half- 
brother,  Huascar,  a  few  months  before. 

The  Spanish  leaders  ordered  their  followers  to  fall  back, 
and,  choosing  only  two  of  them  and  the  interpreter,  Feli- 
pillo,  went  forward,  still  on  horseback,  until  they  reined 
up  immediately  in  front  of  the  Inca.  They  gazed  on  the 
face  of  this  man  who,  in  the  fierce  battles  of  which  they 
had  heard,  had  conquered  the  land  from  his  own  kinsman, 
and  in  his  features  they  tried  to  read  what  were  his  thoughts 
concerning  themselves.  But  on  the  Inca's  face  was  a  look 
of  apathy,  mingled  with  an  expression  of  authority  and 
command  as  befitted  his  great  power. 

Without  dismounting,  Hernando  Pizarro  made  respect- 
ful obeisance  to  the  Inca,  and  then  said  : 

"  I  come,  your  Majesty,  as  the  ambassador  of  my  brother, 
Francisco  Pizarro,  the  commander  of  the  white  men,  to  tell 
you  of  our  arrival  in  the  city  of  Caxamalca.  We  are  the 
subjects  of  a  great  prince  who  dwells  in  vast  kingdoms 
across  the  ocean  ;  we  have  been  drawn  hither  by  the 
reports  which  we  have  heard  of  your  prowess  and  your 

122 


A   Meeting  with   the  Inca 

victories,  and  we  would  offer  you  our  services  and  would 
instruct  you  in  the  doctrines  of  the  true  faith.  Lastly, 
I  bring  to  you  an  invitation  from  the  general  that  you 
visit  him,  if  it  is  your  pleasure,  in  our  present  quarters  in 
the  town." 

Sentence  by  sentence  the  words  were  translated  in  a 
clear,  ringing  voice  by  the  young  man,  Felipillo,  while  some 
hvmdreds  of  curious  eyes  were  directed  upon  every  inch 
of  the  bodies  of  the  cavaliers  and  their  champing  and 
restive  war-horses.  Wonder  and  even  terror  at  the  sight 
of  these  strange  visitors  were  depicted  on  every  face,  for 
never  had  the  Peruvians  been  prepared,  by  anything  they 
had  ever  heard,  for  the  existence  of  such  wonderful  men, 
riding  on  fierce  animals  and  clothed  in  shining  iron 
garments. 

But  the  Inca  seemed  unmoved.  He  remained  silent,  his 
eyes  bent  to  the  ground,  and  did  not  show  even  by  a  gesture 
or  the  flicking  of  an  eyelid  that  he  had  heard  a  word  of  the 
Spaniard's  address. 

The  moments  passed  slowly  in  a  heavy  silence,  while  the 
eyes  of  the  Spaniards  were  fixed  keenly  on  the  Inca's  im- 
passive face. 

At  length  the  Inca  noble  standing  nearest  to  the  king 
said  : 

"  It  is  well." 

The  brows  of  the  Spanish  leaders  darkened  momentarily, 
and  they  bit  their  lips.  If  this  was  all  the  answer  the 
Inca  was  intending  to  give  them,  they  were  as  far  from 
knowing  his  intentions — whether  evil  or  good — toward 
them  as  if  the  stupendous  mountains  still  lay  between 
them. 

Very  courteously  Hernando  Pizarro  again  addressed  the 
Inca. 

123 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

"  Will  5''Ou  not  speak  to  us  yourself,  your  Majesty,  and 
tell  us  what  is  your  pleasure  ?  " 

The  Inca  raised  his  head,  and  his  inscrutable  face  was 
lit  with  a  shadowy  smile.  Then  the  apathetic  look  again 
returned  as  he  replied  : 

"  Tell  your  captain  that  I  am  keeping  a  fast,  which  will 
end  to-morrow  morning,  when  I  ^vill  come  with  some  of  my 
chieftains  to  see  him.  Meanwhile  let  him  occupy  those 
houses  on  the  plaza,  and  go  into  no  other  until  I  come, 
when  I  will  order  what  shall  be  done." 

When  Atahualpa  finished  speaking  he  fixed  his  eyes  on 
the  charger  which  de  Soto  rode.  The  horse  was  of  the 
purest  breed,  and  of  a  high  mettle,  and  stood  impatiently 
champing  the  bit,  pawing  the  ground  and  tossing  its 
handsome  head. 

"  The  king  perhaps  would  like  to  see  the  movements  of 
my  horse,"  said  de  Soto,  and  reining  back  the  animal  he 
dashed  into  the  open  plain  before  the  Inca,  wheeling  round 
and  round,  displaying  all  the  beautiful  movements  of  the 
steed,  as  well  as  his  own  superb  horsemanship. 

Then,  putting  the  horse  at  full  speed,  he  rode  furiously 
straight  towards  the  Inca,  but  checked  the  animal  in  full 
career,  bringing  it  almost  on  its  haunches,  so  near  the 
person  of  the  Inca  that  some  of  the  foam  from  the  horse's 
muzzle  was  thrown  on  the  garments  of  the  king. 

But  Atahualpa  maintained  the  same  marble  indifference, 
and  no  flicker  of  interest  gleamed  in  his  eyes  or  stirred  his 
cheek,  even  when  the  animal  seemed  about  to  leap  upon 
him.  Some  of  the  Indians  who  stood  by,  however,  were 
not  so  stoical,  and  drew  back  in  manifest  terror.  For  this 
evidence  of  fear  before  the  strangers  they  were  the  same 
evening  put  to  death  by  order  of  the  Inca . 

Wine  was  brought  by  some  of  the  women  of  the  Court, 

124 


Atahualpa  maintained   the  same  marble  indifference 


124 


A   Meeting  with   the   Inca 

and  offered  to  the  two  Spanish  leaders  in  golden  goblets 
of  great  size.  These  they  quaffed,  and  then  respectfully 
took  their  leave. 

In  gloomy  silence  the  horsemen  rode  back  to  their  com- 
rades at  Caxamalca.  Their  thoughts  were  filled  with 
wonder  at  the  magnificence  and  richness  of  the  Court  of 
the  Inca,  the  strength  of  his  army,  and  the  order  and  dis- 
cipline in  their  ranks.  All  these  things  seemed  to  speak  of 
a  power,  a  solidity  and  a  strength  such  as  they  had  never 
dreamed  of  in  the  earlier  part  of  the  expedition. 

As  they  compared  this  power  of  the  Peruvians  with  their 
own  small  number,  sunk  as  they  were  deep  in  the  hostile 
country  and  far  from  succour,  they  were  filled  with  dread- 
ful forebodings  of  disaster  and  death. 

When  they  reached  the  camp  Hernando  Pizarro  and 
de  Soto  went  into  the  chamber  where  their  general  was 
lodged,  and  gave  him  a  full  report  of  all  that  had  happened. 
Meanwhile  the  rank  and  file  gathered  eagerly  round  those 
who  had  visited  the  Inca  camp,  and  learnt  all  that  they 
had  seen  and  all  they  feared. 

Despondency  in  a  little  while  took  possession  of  the 
whole  camp.  Men  sat  about  the  fires,  either  looking  in 
blank  silence  into  the  leaping  flames,  or  else  murmuring 
to  each  other  in  low,  querulous  monotones,  discussing  the 
dark  future,  or  cursing  themselves  for  having  ventured  on 
so  mad  a  quest. 

When  night  fell,  men  issued  from  the  rooms  opening  on 
the  plaza,  and  went  where  the  sentinels  were  set,  and  stood 
watching  the  fires  of  the  Indian  camp  on  the  slopes  of  the 
hills  across  the  valley. 

"  Look  at  the  multitude  of  them,"  said  one  ;  "  as  thick 
as  the  stars  in  heaven  on  a  summer's  night,  and  round  each 
must  be  a  dozen  men." 

125 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

"  What  of  that  ?  "  came  a  clear  voice  behind  the  speaker. 
"  Wliat  if  for  every  Spanish  cava  Her  there  are  a  thousand 
Indians  ?  " 

Instantly  the  men  turned,  for  all  knew  the  voice  to  be 
that  of  Pizarro.  They  saw  his  pale  face  in  the  half  light, 
and  that  its  usual  gravity  was  lit  up  with  a  smile. 

"  Well,  general,"  said  one  cavalier,  "  no  man  can  but 
deny  that  we  are  outnumbered  almost  to  the  degree  you 
say." 

"  Yes  ;  and  what  has  that  to  do  with  you,  who  are 
all  brave  men  ?  "  came  the  reply. 

"  We  may  be  brave  as  lions,  but  we  are  but  men," 
returned  the  man. 

"  And  though,"  .said  another,  "  it  would  seem  that  the 
natives  here  reckon  us  almost  as  demigods,  and  stand  in 
great  fear  of  what  they  deem  are  our  wonderful  powers, 
yet,  general,  were  the  Inca  king  but  to  take  it  into  his 
head  to  i-ush  us,  we  should  be  stamped  out." 

"  Lads,"  said  Pizarro,  and  there  was  almost  a  careless 
laugh  in  his  voice,  "  you  are  all  as  full  of  fears  as  children 
frightened  of  the  dark.  Now,  I  beseech  you,"  he  went  on, 
and  his  voice  became  earnest,  "  not  to  show  each  other 
a  faint  heart.  I  do  not  hide  from  you  that  we  are  at  a 
crisis  in  our  fortunes.  But  we  have  been  coming  to  this 
for  these  past  several  months — ^we  are  now  facing  the  foe 
whom  we  have  been  seeking  ever  since,  at  Tumbez,  our 
feet  touched  this  soil.  We  have  gone  through  many 
dangers  unharmed,  and  we  will  pass  through  this  likewise. 
But  you  must  rely  on  yourselves — on  your  own  brave 
hearts,  and  on  the  aid  of  that  providence  which  has  carried 
us  through  so  many  fearful  trials.  It  will  not  desert  us 
now,  for  we  are  fighting  the  fight  of  the  true  faith.  If 
numbers,  however  great,  ai-e  on  the  side  of  the  heathen, 

126 


A ,  Meeting  with   the   Inca 

does  that  matter  at  all  while  the  ami  of  Heaven  is  on 
ours  ?  " 

Pizarro's  words  rang  with  sincerity  and  confidence,  and 
found  instant  echo  in  the  hearts  of  the  soldiers  about  him, 
whose  numbers  had  increased  when  word  had  gone  through 
the  camp  that  he  was  speaking,  until  now  nearly  all  the 
band  were  listening. 

A  shout  arose  from  them.  "  The  general  speaks  truly," 
men  cried.  "Heaven  and  its  saints  will  fight  for  us,  as 
they  have  fought  for  us  till  now,  and  we  shall  prevail." 

Quickly  the  report  of  Pizarro's  heartening  words  went 
through  the  whole  camp  ;  men's  faces  brightened  as  they 
sought  their  fires  again,  or  prepared  their  sleeping-places  ; 
rough  jests  passed  in  place  of  gloomy  forebodings,  and 
many  expressed  their  admiration  for  their  leader  and  their 
reliance  upon  him. 


127 


CHAPTER   IX 
A  Deed  of  Carnage 

MEANWHILE,  Pizarro  had  summoned  a  council 
of  his  chief  officers  to  determine  what  was  to  be 
done.  Each  of  them  entered  the  room  where 
Pizarro  was  lodged,  with  looks  of  gravity  or  even  of  gloom. 
Their  number  comprised  men  who  bore  some  of  the  oldest 
names  in  Spain,  men  of  tried  prowess  in  battle,  wise  in  war 
and  subtle  in  counsel. 

Among  them  were  Hernando  and  Gonzalo,  brothers  of 
Pizarro  ;  Hernando  de  Soto,  polished  courtier  and  famous 
warrior  ;  Garcilasso  de  la  Vega,  a  man  of  noble  rank,  who 
numbered  English  families  among  his  kinsfolk  by  mar- 
riage ;  Mancio  Serra  de  Leguisamo,  Antonio  Altimorono, 
Spanish  gentlemen  who  made  up  for  the  poverty  which  had 
driven  them  to  this  venture  by  the  length  of  their  pedi- 
grees ;  and,  lastly,  Fray  Vicente  de  Valverde,  a  Dominican 
friar,  who  was  Pizarro's  chaplain,  and  charged  with  the 
ecclesiastical  duties  of  the  expedition.  There  was  also 
Pizarro's  secretary,  a  gentleman  named  Pedro  Sancho, 
who  has  left  a  history  of  the  conquest. 

"  Gentlemen,"  said  Pizarro,  "  I  have  summoned  you  so 
that  we  may  take  counsel  together  as  to  what  is  best  to  be 
done.     Let  each  say  what  is  in  his  mind." 

There  was  silence.  Men  looked  at  each  other,  found  no 
eagerness,  no  fire,  in  any  of  the  eyes  which  met  theirs, 
and  dropped  their  gaze  upon  the  ground.     Pizarro's  grave 

128 


A  Deed  of  Carnage 

glance  swept  about  them,  and  then,  as  no  one  seemed 
wishful  to  speak,  he  said  : 

"  I  will  put  the  position  before  you.  We  are  one 
hundred  and  seventy  men  ;  a  league  beyond  these  walls 
are  perhaps  one  hundred  thousand  Indians.  We  have 
toiled  for  many  months — I,  indeed,  have  toiled  many 
years — ^to  get  here,  to  face  the  foe  who  now  lies  so  near  us, 
and  to  conquer  his  land  for  the  glory  of  our  emperor,  and 
our  Holy  Faith,  and  the  enrichment  of  ourselves.  We  are 
now  where  we  desired  to  be,  but — our  position  is  desperate. 
Whichever  way  we  turn,  we  are  menaced  by  appalling 
dangers — nay,  death  seems  certain. 

"  To  fly  now  is  too  late.  Whither  could  we  go  ?  At 
the  first  sign  of  retreat  the  whole  army  of  the  Inca,  whose 
spies  are  doubtless  beneath  our  very  walls,  would  rise 
and  rush  upon  us.  If  we  reached  the  sierras,  and  strove 
to  retreat  the  way  we  came,  our  enemies,  who  know  every 
track  upon  those  desolate  mountains,  would  hem  us  in 
where  they  chose,  and  mete  out  to  us  such  a  death  as 
should  satisfy  their  savage  instincts. 

"  To  stay  where  we  are — inactive,  neither  advancing 
nor  retreating,"  went  on  Pizarro,  in  the  same  quiet  voice, 
"  is  that  the  better  course?  Do  we  know  that  the  Inca 
bears  friendly  feelings  toward  us  ?  Gentlemen,  you  all 
know  the  coldness  of  his  reception  of  my  embassy  to  him 
not  three  hours  ago.  Even  supposing  that  his  coldness  was 
assumed,  and  that  he  has  friendly  feelings  for  us,  could  we 
rely  upon  his  continuing  in  amity? 

"  The  heathens  think  that  we  have  supernatural  powers, 
but  if  we  remain  inactive  among  them,  will  not  habit  and 
custom  soon  cause  them  to  know  that  we  are  but  men  as 
they  are  ?  Will  they  not  get  to  despise  us  for  our  few- 
ness of  numbers  ?  And  when  they  thought  thus,  would 
I  129 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

not  our  arms,  our  horses  and  our  accoutrements  constantly 
excite  the  Inca  to  fall  upon  us  and  possess  the  things  we 
have  ? 

"  From  all  that  I  have  learned  of  him,  the  Inca  is  a 
crafty  and  unscrupulous  prince.  You  think,  perhaps, 
that  his  messages  to  us  asking  us  to  hasten  to  him  were 
meant  kindly  ?  (Gentleman,  on  the  contrary,  I  knew  that 
always  they  were  only  intended  to  decoy  us  across  the 
mountains.  He  did  not  oppose  us  in  the  sierras,  where, 
at  fifty  places,  he  could  have  checked  and  slain  us.  No, 
he  did  not ;  he  wished  to  see  us  closely,  to  learn  who  we 
are,  what  manner  of  men  we  are,  and  when  he  cares,  he 
hopes  to  stretch  out  his  hand,  crush  us  utterly  and  take 
what  we  possess  for  his  own  barbaric  adornment." 

They  were  all  brave  men  who,  seated  round  the  fire  in 
the  centre  of  the  room,  listened  to  Pizarro's  words  ;  but 
the  brutal  plainness  with  which  he  described  their  appar- 
ently hopeless  plight  caused  the  heart  of  more  than  one 
to  contract  with  a  chill  fear.  They  could  only  hope  that 
their  general,  who  seldom  told  them  all  that  was  in  his 
mind,  was  by  thus  showing  them  all  that  was  against 
them,  only  leading  up  to  some  way  out  of  their  desperate 
condition.     But  their  hopes  of  any  solution  were  small. 

"  What  shall  we  do,  then  ?  "  went  on  Pizarro,  his  grave 
eyes  bent  on  the  burning  billets  of  wood  before  him,  the 
flames  from  which  ruddied  his  cheek,  which  no  rays  of  the 
tropic  sun  had  power  to  tan.  "  Shall  we  try  our  forces 
against  those  of  the  Inca  ?  Shall  we  try  a  sudden  assault, 
take  them  by  surprise  at  some  opportune  moment  ?  Or 
shall  we  wait  until  reinforcements  reach  us,  and  with  larger 
numbers  essay  a  pitched  battle  ?  I  think  not.  We  may 
have  a  hundred  and  fifty  or  two  hundred  more  cavaliers 
who  may  reach  us  under  Almagro,  within  the  next  few 

130 


A  Deed  of  Carnage 

weeks.  But  before  then,  the  victorious  legions  of  the 
Inca  will  have  returned  from  the  north,  from  their  con- 
quests which  have  brought  the  whole  of  this  rich  land  in 
fealty  to  Atahualpa.  What  would  four  or  five  hundred 
Spanish  cavaliers,  unsurpassed  as  they  may  be  man  to 
man — ^what  could  these  do  against  a  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand  ? 

"  I  lay  these  things  before  you  thus  clearly,"  he  went 
on,  "  because  I  wish  to  convince  you  that  being,  as  we 
are,  in  desperate  straits,  only  a  desperate  remedy  can 
release  us.  I  have  a  plan,  gentlemen.  It  is  a  desperate 
one,  but  it  is  one  which,  I  think,  will  achieve  success.  It 
is  one  which  will  turn  the  Inca's  treacherous  arts  against 
himself,  to  take  him,  if  possible,  in  his  own  snare,  to  repay 
his  treachery,  or  strategy,  with  strategy  as  subtle  and  as 
bold. 

"  The  Lica  himself  has  suggested  this  plan  to  me.  He 
has  promised  to  visit  us  here  to-morrow.  Gentlemen,  we 
must  lay  an  ambush  for  the  Inca,  and  though  in  face  of 
his  whole  army,  we  must  take  him  prisoner  !  " 

Men  looked  at  him  with  astonishment.  The  daring, 
the  desperation  of  the  plan  struck  them  dumb  for  the 
moment.     Then  cried  de  la  Vega  : 

"  By  the  blessed  Virgin,  'tis  a  master-stroke  !  General, 
I  congratulate  you  on  your  project.  'Tis  our  only  hope, 
and  I  see  no  reason  why  it  should  not  succeed." 

Others  gave  expression  to  their  admiration  of  the  bold- 
ness of  the  plan,  and  all  began  discussing  how  it  should  be 
carried  into  execution.  When  this  had  been  finally  settled, 
the  priest,  Valverde,  said  : 

"Truly,  Heaven  hath  given  our  leader  the  wisdom  which 
shall  fight  for  us  and  confound  our  enemies,  and  his  name 
shall  go  down  to  posterity  as  a  brilliant  and  worthy  son  of 

131 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

the  Holy  Church  with  that  other  noble  ornament  who 
gave  Mexico  to  the  true  faith,  Hernando  Cortes.  And  now, 
my  children,  I  go,  and  with  my  two  brother  priests  I  will 
spend  the  night  in  prayers  for  your  success,  giving  our- 
selves to  tears  and  flagellation." 

The  council  separated,  not  one  voice  having  been  raised 
in  timid  objection  or  fear.  All  clearly  saw  that  if  the 
sacred  person  of  the  Inca  were  once  secured,  his  followers, 
astounded  by  so  great  a  catastrophe,  would  be  struck 
powerless  with  consternation.  If,  later,  they  recovered 
and  attempted  to  attack  the  Spaniards,  Pizarro  could 
threaten  to  slay  the  Inca  before  their  very  eyes.  Thus, 
with  the  Inca  in  his  power,  he  would  have  the  best 
guarantee  for  the  safety  of  the  Spaniards. 

Pizarro  went  round  the  camp,  giving  orders  for  its  due 
security  during  the  night.  There  was  a  low  tower  at  the 
end  of  the  plaza,  toward  the  Inca  camp,  and  on  the  summit 
thereof  Pizarro  placed  sentinels,  so  that  they  could  watch 
the  camp  of  the  Inca  and  give  warning  of  any  menacing 
movements. 

Then  all  retired  to  their  quarters  to  sleep.  But  few 
slept.  Their  brains  were  too  busy  with  thoughts  of  the 
morrow,  which  was  to  be  the  crisis  of  their  fate — ^to  see 
them  whelmed  in  carnage  and  ruin,  or  to  see  them  masters 
of  the  Land  of  Gold  ! 

Wlien  day  broke,  the  loud  call  of  the  tiTimpet  awoke 
the  Spanish  soldiers,  who  quickly  set  about  preparing  the 
morning  meal.  The  sun  was  shining  in  glory  through  the 
valley,  and  though  many  cast  anxious  looks  to  where 
the  Indian  tents  arose,  most  of  them  felt,  in  the  freshness 
of  the  morning,  that  somehow  an  escape  from  the  des- 
perate state  of  their  affairs  would  soon  be  found. 

After  the  morning  meal,  the  soldiers  were  gathered 

132 


A  Deed  of  Carnage 

together,  and  very  briefly  Pizarro  told  them  what. he  had 
resolved  to  do.  Then  he  set  about  making  the  necessary 
dispositions. 

As  already  mentioned,  the  plaza  was  surrounded  on 
three  sides  by  low  ranges  of  buildings,  with  wide  halls 
opening  into  the  square.  In  these,  on  opposite  sides, 
Pizarro  placed  the  cavalrjr,  under  the  command  of  his 
brother  Hernando  and  of  de  Soto.  In  the  fortress,  which 
closed  the  narrow  end  of  the  plaza,  Pedro  de  Candia,  the 
Greek  artillery  officer,  was  stationed  with  a  few  soldiers, 
and  the  two  small  pieces  of  cannon  which  had  been  brought 
with  the  expedition. 

Mass  was  performed  with  great  solemnity  by  the  priests, 
prayers  were  offered,  and  the  soldiers  were  enjoined  to  enter 
bravely  into  the  conflict  which  was  almost  upon  them, 
since  they  were  fighting  to  extend  the  empire  of  the  Cross, 
and  to  bring  heathens  into  the  fold  of  the  Church.  After- 
wards, all  joined  with  enthusiasm  in  the  chant,  "  Exsvrge 
Domine,  et  judica  causam  tuam."  The  solemn  hymn,  sung 
by  a  hundred  and  seventy  deep  voices,  rose  and  fell  through 
the  sunlit  air,  and  heartened  every  soldier,  filling  him  with 
the  glow  of  enthusiasm,  so  that  he  felt  that  in  all  that  he 
proposed  to  do,  whatever  deed  of  carnage  he  was  to  per- 
petrate, he  was  a  true  soldier  of  the  Cross,  and  all  he  did 
was  done  in  the  name  of  Holy  Church. 

Late  in  the  morning  an  Inca  noble,  with  several  attend- 
ants, was  seen  coming  across  the  causeway,  and,  on  being 
brought  to  Pizarro,  he  delivered  a  message,  saying  that 
his  master  was  preparing  to  set  forth  on  his  promised 
visit,  and  that  he  would  come  with  all  his  warriors  fully 
armed,  "  even  as  the  white  warriors  had  come  into  his 
camp  the  evening  before." 

The  general  replied  straightway  :   "  Say  to  your  master 

133 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

that,  come  when  and  how  he  chooses,  he  shall  be 
welcome." 

An  hour  passed  and  then,  when  the  sun  stood  high  over- 
head, a  watcher  from  the  toAver  descended,  and  told  the 
general  that  the  Indian  procession  had  started  from  the 
Inca's  camp,  and  was  already  on  the  causeway.  Pizarro 
mounted  to  the  tower,  and  saw  that  the  retinue  of  the 
Inca  stretched  for  a  long  distance  along  the  road. 

In  front  came  a  large  body  of  attendants,  who,  with  long, 
soft  brooms,  swept  the  path  free  of  all  dust  and  rubbish. 
Behind  them,  pacing  slowly,  came,  rank  upon  rank,  a 
dense  body  of  men  in  uniforms  of  various  colours,  and 
behind  these,  raised  high  above  the  throng,  was  an  open 
litter  in  which  sat  the  Inca  himself.  Behind  him  and 
beside  him  marched  other  officers  and  servants. 

As  they  moved  in  the  bright  rays  of  the  sunshine,  the 
light  flashed  from  the  rich  ornaments  on  their  persons,  and 
so  dazzling  was  the  sight  that,  as  one  of  the  men  "who  stood 
beside  Pizarro  exclaimed,  "  they  blazed  like  the  sun." 

But  the  most  disturbing  sight  to  the  Spaniards,  watching 
with  grim  faces  and  the  slow  breathing  of  suspense,  was 
the  enormous  multitude  of  soldiers,  some  of  whom  lined 
the  road  in  single  file,  while  others  moved  slowly  in  solid 
ranks  over  the  green  fields  on  either  side. 

Suddenly,  when  the  head  of  the  procession  had  arrived 
at  the  distance  of  half-a-mile  from  the  gateway  beside  the 
fortress,  and  Pizarro  was  about  to  descend  the  tower,  the 
Inca's  bodyguard  stopped,  and  to  the  surprise  of  the 
Spaniards  they  saw  white  tents  were  being  brought  out 
and  pitched  upon  the  meadows  beside  the  causeway. 
The  Inca  was  going  to  encamp  just  outside  the  ambush 
prepared  for  him  ! 

Then  another  Inca  noble,  with  attendants,  was  seen 

134 


A  Deed  of  Carnage 

approaching  the  city,  and  Pizarro,  having  descended  to 
receive  him,  was  informed  that  the  Inca  would  occupy 
his  present  station  for  the  night,  and  make  his  visit  to  the 
Spaniards  in  the  morning. 

This  information  was  very  disturbing  to  Pizarro.  For 
many  hours  since  dayhght  the  Spaniards  had  been  under 
arms,  the  cavalry  mounted  in  the  great  halls  beside  the 
plaza,  and  the  foot  soldiers  ranked  in  their  lines.  The 
heat  of  the  tropical  sun  had  beaten  down  all  day  in  the 
glaring  plaza,  and  no  sound  was  in  the  deserted  city 
except  the  call,  every  now  and  then,  from  the  summit  of 
the  tower,  where  the  Spanish  watcher  announced  from 
time  to  time  the  movements  of  the  Inca's  army. 

Nothing  would  be  so  trying,  so  nerve-racking,  as  pro- 
longed suspense  in  a  critical  position  like  the  present,  and 
Pizarro  feared  lest  the  ardour  of  his  soldiers  might  weaken 
if  they  were  kept  longer  in  suspense. 

"  Tell  your  master,"  he  said  to  the  messenger,  "  that  I 
hope  he  will  come  immediately,  as  he  at  first  proposed,  for 
I  have  waited  for  him  all  day,  and  am  anxious  to  see  him." 

Wlien  the  envoy  reached  the  Inca,  the  Spanish  watchers 
saw  with  gladness  that  the  Inca's  tents  were  folded  up 
again,  and  that  the  procession  continued  its  progress 
toward  the  to^vn,  with  the  exception  of  the  Indian  soldiers 
who  were  now  left  behind. 

At  the  same  time  a  band  of  officers  of  the  Court  came, 
and  a  message  was  delivered  to  the  Spaniards,  saying  that 
Atahualpa  intended  to  pass  the  night  in  the  town,  and 
that  they  were  come  to  prepare  lodgings  for  himself  and 
his  retinue. 

A  little  before  sunset  the  head  of  the  process^'on  entered 
the  gate  of  the  plaza.  First  came  some  hundred  or  more 
menials,  clearing  the  road  from  rubbish,  and  singing  songs 

135 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

of  praise  to  the  Inca.  Then  followed,  marching  in  ranks, 
officers  dressed  in  various  liveries.  Some  wore  clothes 
with  patterns  in  squares  of  red  and  white,  like  a  chess- 
board, while  others  were  dressed  in  pure  white,  and  bore 
on  their  shoulders  maces  of  silver  or  copper. 

The  guards  immediately  about  the  king  were  dis- 
tinguished above  all  others  by  the  deep  blue  of  their 
livery,  by  the  rich  ornaments  about  their  necks,  and  by 
the  heavy  pendants  of  gold  which  hung  at  their  ears, 
which  marked  them  out  as  being  of  the  royal  race  of  the 
Incas. 

High  above  his  vassals  came  the  Inca,  seated  on  a  throne 
of  pure  gold  which  rested  on  an  open  litter,  the  poles  of 
which  were  borne  on  the  shoulders  of  eighty  of  the  Inca 
nobles.  The  litter,  or  palanquin,  shone  in  the  sunlight 
with  shining  plates  of  gold  and  silver,  and  from  the 
person  of  the  Inca  seated  within,  the  light  dazzled  and 
glittered. 

Round  his  neck  was  a  collar  of  emeralds  of  unusual 
size  and  brilliancy.  His  short  hair  was  covered  with  orna- 
ments of  gold,  and  the  Peruvian  crown,  or  borla,  made  of 
red  fringe,  encircled  his  forehead. 

As  the  leading  ranks  of  the  procession  entered  the  square, 
they  opened,  and  allowed  the  bearers  of  the  Inca  to  pass 
through.  There  was  no  sign  of  the  Spaniards,  and  in 
silence  and  slow  order  the  bodyguard  of  the  Inca  bore 
him  to  the  other  end  of  the  vast  plaza.  Behind  them 
came  a  multitude  of  the  retinue  to  the  number  of  five 
thousand,  so  that  the  great  space  was  almost  filled. 

Then,  commanding  his  bearers  to  halt,  Atahualpa  stood 
up  and  looked  back. 

"  Where  are  they  ?  "  he  demanded,  referring  to  the 
Spaniards,  not  a  sign  of  whom  was  to  be  seen. 

136 


A  Deed  of  Carnage 

"  I  think,  lord,"  said  one  of  the  Inca  chiefs,  "  that  they 
hide  for  fear  of  thee." 

At  that  moment,  from  one  of  the  halls  opening  on  the 
plaza,  the  priest  Valverde  came,  accompanied  by  a  soldier 
named  Aldana,  and  by  Martinillo,  one  of  the  Indian  inter- 
preters. In  one  hand  the  priest  bore  a  Bible,  and  in  the 
other  a  crucifix,  and,  approaching  the  Inca,  he  said  : 

"  I  come  by  order  of  my  general  to  expound  to  you  the 
doctrines  of  the  true  faith,  for  which  purpose  we  have  come 
many  thousand  leagues." 

Thereupon  the  priest  began  to  explain  shortly  the  whole 
Christian  doctrine  :  how  man  was  created,  fell  into  sin, 
was  redeemed  by  Jesus  Christ,  who  was  crucified  ;  how, 
ascending  into  heaven,  Jesus  had  left  Peter  to  be  his 
vicegerent  upon  earth,  and  how  the  power  of  the  Son  of 
God  had  been  handed  down  to  the  popes,  the  successors  of 
Peter,  who  had  thereby  authority  over  all  the  kings  and 
principalities  of  the  world. 

"The  successor  of  that  great  Apostle,"  went  on  the 
friar,  every  sentence  of  whose  discourse  was  interpreted 
as  he  went  on  by  the  Indian  beside  him,  "  who  now  sits 
in  his  place  at  Rome,  hath  given  authority  to  our  master, 
the  Emperor  Charles,  one  of  the  most  magnificent  monarchs 
whom  the  world  hath  ever  seen,  to  conquer  and  convert 
the  natives  of  this  western  continent.  The  general,  my 
master,  hath  his  Majesty's  commands  to  execute  this 
important  work  in  thy  country. 

"  Therefore,"  went  on  the  friar,  "  I  do  beseech  thee  to 
receive  the  envoy  of  his  Majesty  in  all  kindness,  to  renounce 
the  errors  of  thine  o\vn  idolatrous  and  heathen  religion, 
and  to  embrace  the  truths  of  that  faith  which  I  bring  to 
thee,  the  only  true  faith  in  the  world,  and  the  only  one 
whereby  thou  mayst  receive  eternal  life. 

137 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

"  If  ye  do  these  things,  nnd  aclcnowledge  thyself  a 
vassal  of  his  most  excellent  Majesty  the  Emperor  Charles, 
thou  shalt  be  received  into  the  family  of  kings  and  princes 
who  sit  in  peace  under  the  shadow  of  his  power,  and  thou 
shalt  receive  all  aid  and  protection  from  thy  great  over- 
lord." 

The  Incahad  listened  patiently,  only  half  understanding 
the  first  part  of  the  discourse,  but  at  the  latter  part,  which 
he  well  understood,  his  face  flushed  and  his  eyes  glittered. 

"  I  will  be  no  man's  vassal  !  "  he  cried.  "  I  am  greater 
than  any  prince  on  earth.  Your  emperor  is  also  a  great 
prince — he  must  be  so,  seeing  that  he  hath  sent  you  so  far 
across  the  world.  I  will  hold  him  as  a  brother,  but  no 
more  than  that.  As  for  the  great  priest  you  speak  of,  he 
must  be  mad  to  talk  of  giving  away  kingdoms  he  does  not 
possess.  And  the  god  that  I  worship  hath  never  died, 
hath  never  been  slain  by  those  who  should  have  wor- 
shipped him.  My  god,"  he  said,  pointing  to  the  west, 
where  the  sun  lay  low  in  the  skies,  throwing  a  red  glory 
across  the  world  and  tingeing  the  upraised  faces  of  the 
multitude  of  Indians  in  the  square  as  if  already  they  were 
bathed  in  blood,  "  my  god  still  lives  in  the  heavens  and 
looks  down  on  his  children  !  " 

Turning  to  the  friar,  he  said,  "  By  what  authority  do 
you  say  these  things  ?  " 

The  friar  pointed  to  the  Bible  which  he  held  in  his  hand, 
and  the  Inca  held  out  his  hand  for  it.  The  priest  gave  it 
to  him,  and  Atahualpa  turned  it  this  way  and  that.  He 
did  not  know  how  to  open  the  clumsy  book,  and  with  a 
gesture  of  impatience  he  threw  it  do^\Ti  to  the  ground, 
saying  in  a  loud  voice  : 

"  Tell  your  people  that  they  shall  give  me  an  account  of 
their  evil  doings  in  my  land.     They  are  all  robbers,  and 

138 


A  Deed  of  Carnage 

they  shall  be  slain.  I  will  have  satisfaction  for  all  they 
have  done  !  " 

When  these  words  had  been  swiftly  interpreted  by  the 
young  Indian  beside  him,  the  priest,  with  angry  eyes  and 
flushed  face,  picked  up  the  volume  and  hastened,  almost 
running,  back  to  the  place  where  Pizarro  was  waiting. 
Coming  to  the  general,  who  stood  with  de  Soto,  he  cried  in 
a  passionate  voice  : 

"  Do  you  not  see  what  is  happening  ?  While  we  waste 
our  breath  talking  with  this  dog,  full  of  pride  as  he  is, 
the  square  is  filling  with  Indians  ?  Set  on  at  once.  I 
absolve  you  !  " 

The  pale  face  of  Pizarro  did  not  move  a  muscle.  He 
stepped  to  the  door  of  the  hall  and  waved  a  white  scarf. 
Instantly  from  the  fortress  roared  a  cannon,  ploughing 
a  shot  through  the  dense  mass  of  Indians.  Cries  of  terror 
arose  among  them,  and  they  rushed  this  way  and  that. 
Again  came  the  crash  of  cannon,  and  a  volley  of  musketry 
scattered  death  and  horror  among  them. 

Then  the  sharp  note  of  a  trumpet  rose  clear  and  strong. 
Every  Spanish  soldier,  hiding  in  the  dark  halls,  sprang  to 
arms,  and  from  the  wide  doors  poured  the  horsemen.  The 
old  battle  cry  of  "  St  Jago  and  at  them  !  "  rang  out  in  the 
square,  and  was  answered  from  every  side  as  horse  and 
foot  poured  out  and  dashed  into  the  midst  of  the  Indians. 

Terrified  by  the  noise  and  smoke  of  the  guns,  horrified 
to  see  their  fellows  struck  do^Mi  beside  them  by  some 
mysterious  force,  the  Indians  were  taken  entirely  by 
surprise.  The  echoes  of  the  guns  reverberated  from  the 
empty  halls  beside  them,  and  the  sulphurous  fumes  of  the 
powder  rolled  in  volumes  among  the  natives.  They 
thought  that  horrible  and  powerful  demons  were  let 
loose  among  them,  and  in  a  deathly  panic  flew  this  way 

139 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

and  that,  seeking  escape.  But  their  own  numbers  im- 
peded them,  and  in  the  narrow  space  thousands  jammed 
together. 

At  the  first  fierce  charge  of  the  Spanish  cavalry  as 
many  were  slain  by  the  crowd,  by  being  trampled,  as  by 
the  swords  of  the  freebooters.  Nobles  and  commoners 
were  mingled  in  the  heaps  of  slain  that  now,  like  ghastly 
mounds,  rose  up  along  the  square  amid  the  crowds  of 
panic-stricken  creatures  who  dashed  this  way  and  that, 
pursued  by  the  relentless  cavaliers  of  Spain. 

This  was  an  added  terror — ^to  see  man  and  horse,  like 
some  new  creature  of  terror,  springing  mercilessly  among 
them  ;  and  the  flashing  sword  in  the  hand  of  the  warrior 
dealt  death  unsparingly  to  all. 

The  Indians  made  no  resistance.  Panic  possessed  them, 
and,  besides,  they  had  no  weapons.  Their  only  thought 
was  to  escape,  but  every  avenue  was  closed  to  them.  The 
entrance  of  the  square  was  closed  by  a  mass  of  bodies  of 
those  who  had  been  crushed  in  the  first  mad  rush  to  escape. 
A  piece  of  thick  wall  beside  the  gate  was  thrown  down 
by  the  terrible  pressure  of  the  crowd  now  remaining  in  the 
square,  and  those  behind,  scrambling  over  the  ruin  and  the 
bodies  of  their  agonized  fellows,  streamed  in  flying  bands 
into  the  country  beyond,  pursued  by  the  horsemen  who 
hung  on  their  rear,  cutting  down  all  they  could  reach. 

At  the  other  end  of  the  square,  where  the  band  of  Inca 
nobles  still  supported  the  litter  of  their  king,  the  massacre 
was  more  fierce.  It  was  the  aim  of  Pizarro  to  seize  the 
person  of  the  Inca  unharmed,  but  the  brave  nobles, 
weaponless  as  they  were,  could  yet  with  their  bodies  resist 
the  ironclad  warriors  of  Spain  and  offer  a  living  barrier  to 
the  hoofs  of  the  horses. 

Charge  after  charge  was  resisted  ;   the  nobles  clung  to 

140 


A  Deed   of  Carnage 

the  horses  and  strove  to  wrest  the  cavalier  from  his  saddle 
or  to  wrench  the  sword  from  his  hand,  and  as  one  fell  dead 
from  such  an  encounter,  another,  equally  as  brave  and 
devoted  to  his  king,  leaped  into  his  place. 

The  litter,  with  the  Inca  clutching  its  sides,  swayed  to 
and  fro  as  the  band  of  heroic  nobles  was  thrust  to  and  fro. 
He  could  do  nothing  to  avert  the  doom  which  was  inevit- 
able, and,  powerless,  could  do  naught  but  look  and  note 
how  the  living  raft  on  which  he  was  tossed  was  being- 
torn  away,  piece  by  piece,  by  the  waves  of  fierce  warriors 
who  surrounded  him. 

At  length,  weary  with  their  vain  efforts  to  take  the 
Inca  alive,  and  afraid,  now  that  the  twilight  was  descend- 
ing, that  he  might  escape  them,  some  of  the  Spaniards 
made  attempts  to  reach  the  Inca  to  slay  him.  But 
Pizarro,  who  was  nearest  to  him,  called  out  with  angry 
voice  : 

"  Let  no  one  hurt  the  Inca  under  pain  of  death  !  " 

Stretching  out  his  arm  to  shield  him,  Pizarro  received 
the  only  wound  that  any  Spaniard  suffered  in  that 
massacre,  one  of  his  own  men  having  wounded  him  on 
the  hand  with  his  poniard. 

At  length,  so  bitter  was  the  struggle  about  the  Inca 
that  the  palanquin  reeled  more  than  once,  and  several  of 
the  nobles  who  supported  it  having  been  slain,  it  was  over- 
turned, and  the  Inca  would  have  been  thrown  with  violence 
to  the  ground  had  he  not  been  caught  in  the  arms  of 
Pizarro  and  some  of  the  cavaliers. 

Closely  guarded,  he  was  removed  to  one  of  the  chambers 
in  the  square,  and  the  remnant  of  Inca  nobles  now  turned 
and  thought  only  of  flight.  The  report  of  the  disaster 
spread  with  the  speed  of  terror  over  the  neighbouring  fields 
to  the  camp  of  the  Inca — the  divine  person  of  their  king 

141 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

was  in  the  hands  of  the  strangers,  thousands  of  his  sub- 
jects, including  the  flower  of  the  royal  clan,  lay  in  dreadful 
carnage  in  the  square  of  Caxamalca.  The  end  of  the 
world  seemed  to  be  upon  those  that  still  lived,  and  the 
soldiers,  numbering  some  thousands,  were  seized  with 
abject  terror,  and,  leaving  their  weapons,  fled  in  the  gather- 
ing gloom  in  all  directions  away  from  the  vicinity  of  the 
dreadful  stranger  warriors. 

Then  the  clear  note  of  a  trumpet  rose  in  the  evening  air. 
It  was  the  rallying  call  of  the  Spaniards,  and  the  scattered 
conquerors  heard  it  from  far  away  over  the  fertile  fields. 
Each  checked  his  horse  and  turned,  sated  with  bloodshed, 
and  made  his  way  toward  the  town  again,  while  the  terri- 
fied fugitives,  almost  spent  with  their  fierce  running,  noted 
with  relief  that  they  were  no  longer  pursued,  and  throwing 
themselves  down  on  the  grass,  wondered  what  next 
disaster  would  happen,  and  wept  to  think  of  the  ruin  which 
had  crushed  upon  their  world. 

From  the  time  when  the  cannon  thundered  its  signal  for 
the  dreadful  slaughter  until  the  moment  when  Atahualpa 
was  thrown  into  the  hands  of  the  captors,  no  more  than 
half-an-hour  had  passed  ;  but  in  that  time  an  ancient 
kingdom  had  fallen  into  the  hands  of  its  invaders,  and  a 
line  of  kings,  whose  persons  were  held  to  be  sacred  and  of 
divine  origin,  had  come  to  an  end. 

That  night  the  Inca  supped  with  his  cai)tor  Pizarro, 
and  the  chief  Spanish  officers.  The  destruction  which  had 
befallen  him  did  not  seem  greatly  to  have  affected  his 
spirits,  which  was  probably  due  to  the  fact  that  he  had 
succeeded  to  the  throne  by  a  very  recent  conquest,  and 
had  not  behind  him  the  sense  of  a  long  and  undisturbed 
reign. 

Felipillo  stood  behind  Pizarro,  and  by  his  aid  conversa- 

142 


The    litter  swayed  {to  and  fro 


142 


A  Deed  of  Carnage 

tion  was  carried  on  between  the  Inca  and  his  captors  as 
they  continued  the  meal. 

Closely  seen,  the  Inca  was  found  to  be  a  man  of  about 
thirty  years  of  age,  of  a  well-made  frame,  with  a  physique 
more  robust  than  was  usual  with  his  countrymen..  His 
head  was  large,  and  his  face  would  have  been  called  hand- 
some but  for  the  bloodshot  eyes,  which  gave  a  fierce  look 
to  the  face. 

He  was  deliberate  in  speech,  and  grave,  almost  stern, 
in  manner,  but  he  could  be  affable. 

"  I  regret,"  said  Pizarro,  "  that  the  resources  of  our 
rough  camp  do  not  yield  the  delicacies  which  are  your  due. 
But  this  can  be  remedied  to-morrow,  for  I  have  every 
desire  to  treat  you  with  the  courtesy  and  the  deference 
which  are  your  due." 

"  I  do  not  complain,"  said  the  Inca.  "  It  is  the  fortune 
of  war  that  one  shall  conquer  and  another  be  conquered." 

"  Your  words,"  said  de  Soto,  "  prove  to  be  true  what 
we  have  already  heard  of  you,  that  you  are  a  brave 


man." 


"  I  have  ever  loved  war,"  replied  the  Inca,  "  but  such 
strategy  as  yours  is  more  than  I  have  ever  known.  You 
have  entrapped  me — you  with  your  fewness  of  numbers,  in 
the  midst  of  ten  thousand  of  my  people." 

He  spoke  without  bitterness,  and  seemed  really  to 
admire  the  adroit  manner  with  which  the  Spaniards  had 
succeeded  in  their  plan  to  seize  him,  in  spite  of  the 
tremendous  odds  against  them. 

"  You  thought  we  were  a  weaker  enemy  than  we  are  ?  " 
asked  Pizarro. 

"  I  had  heard  that  you  numbered  but  two  hundred,  and 
though  your  weapons  were  marvellous,  and  the  animals 
which  you  ride  were  terrifying — for  such  creatures  we 

143 


The   Conquerors  of  Peru 

have  never  seen  before — I  thought  you  could  easily  be 
overcome  when  I  chose  to  fall  upon  you." 

"  You  see  now  that  you  did  wrong  to  let  us  come  so  far 
into  your  land,"  said  de  Soto. 

"  I  had  knowledge  of  all  you  did,"  replied  the  Inca, 
"  from  the  moment  when  you  first  landed,  for  news  of  all 
the  actions  of  the  '  bearded  men,'  as  you  were  called, 
reached  me  from  the  chieftains  of  the  villages  near  which 
you  passed." 

"  Why  did  you  not  fall  upon  us  in  the  mountains  ?  " 
asked  Pizarro.  "  Almost  hourly,  until  we  found  your 
forts  there  solitary  and  deserted,  we  expected  to  be  over- 
whelmed by  some  ambush." 

"  I  wished  to  see  you  with  my  own  eyes,"  replied 
Atahualpa,  with  a  grave  smile,  "  to  see  what  manner  of 
men  you  were,  and  what  weapons  you  carried.  For 
scarcely  could  I  believe  the  tales  which  were  told  me,  and 
I  thought  my  people  lied." 

"  What  would  you  have  done  to  us  had  you  overcome 
us  ?  "  asked  de  la  Vega. 

"  Such  of  you  as  I  thought  might  be  useful  to  me  to 
describe  to  me  your  people  and  your  country,  to  satisfy 
my  curiosity,  I  should  have  kept  alive  for  a  little  while," 
replied  the  Inca.  "  The  rest  I  should  have  executed,  and 
taken  their  horses  and  arms  for  myself  and  my  own 
bodyguard." 

As  the  evening  passed,  and  the  talk  went  on  between  the 
captured  Inca  and  his  conquerors,  it  could  be  seen  that 
for  all  his  brave  air  of  calmness,  gloomy  thoughts  were  in 
his  mind.     It  could  hardly  be  otherwise. 

Pizarro,  however,  endeavoured  to  cheer  him. 

"  Be  not  cast  down  by  your  reverses,"  he  said.  "  Yours 
has  been  the  fate  of  every  Indian  king  on  this  continent 

144 


A   Deed  of  Carnage 

who  has  endeavoured  to  fight  against  the  Soldiers  of  the 
Cross.  We  fight  for  the  only  true  rehgion  in  the  world, 
and  our  mission  is  to  bring  the  knowledge  of  the  one  true 
God  to  all  the  heathen." 

It  is  to  be  feared  that  the  Inca  got  little  comfort  from 
Pizarro's  words,  and  perhaps  something  of  his  dreadful 
fate  was  vaguely  foreseen  by  the  captured  king. 


145 


CHAPTER   X 

The  Inca's   Ransom 

NEXT  morning  Pizarro  paraded  his  men,  and 
finding  that  there  were  many  prisoners  in  the 
camp,  he  ordered  that  these  should  remove  the 
dead  bodies  of  their  countrymen  that  still  lay  in  heaps 
about  the  plaza,  and  give  them  decent  burial.  With 
what  heavy  hearts  must  this  task  have  been  undertaken 
by  the  captives,  who,  with  the  horror  of  the  terrible 
massacre  still  in  their  minds,  had  to  carry  the  crushed  or 
hacked  bodies  of  their  own  kinsmen  and  inter  them  in  a 
hastily  dug  grave  ! 

Then  Pizarro  detached  de  Soto,  with  some  thirty 
cavaliers,  and  bade  him  ride  to  the  camp  of  the  Inca  at  the 
baths,  disperse  the  remnant  of  the  Peruvian  forces  which 
might  still  hang  about  there,  and  seize  possession  of  the 
spoil. 

Before  noon  de  Soto  rode  into  the  plaza,  followed  by  a 
large  body  of  Peruvians,  men  and  women,  and  an  enormous 
quantity  of  spoil,  all  guarded  by  his  thirty  horsemen. 

"  We  met  with  no  resistance,  general,"  de  Soto  reported, 
"  though  a  large  number  of  the  warriors,  superior  in  num- 
ber to  ourselves,  was  still  there.  I  have  brought  many 
of  them  with  me,  and  these,  as  you  see,  are  young  men. 
I  learn  that  the  veterans  of  the  army  are  in  the  north 
of  the  country,  with  the  two  chief  generals  of  the  Inca. 
I  have  seized  all  the  weapons  I  could  find  in  the  camp." 

146 


The  Inca's   Ransom 

Pizarro  looked  at  the  numbers  of  young,  able-bodied 
men  who,  each  in  a  good  uniform,  and  robust  in  body, 
stood  in  dejected  silence,  gazing  in  awe  at  their  con- 
querors. 

"  Strange,"  said  the  Spanish  general,  "  that  these  men 
do  not  try  to  make  head  against  us,  seeing  how  great  is 
their  number." 

"  They  have  no  heart  in  them,  general,"  replied  de 
Soto.  "  They  are  like  sheep  without  a  bell-wether. 
Felipillo  tells  me  that  now  that  their  king  is  captive 
it  is  to  them  as  if  the  sun  has  fallen  out  of  the  sky,  and 
they  expect  nothing  less  than  the  end  of  the  world.  They 
can  think  of  no  other  leader  than  their  lord,  whom  they 
call  the  Child  of  the  Sun." 

Some  of  the  rougher  and  more  brutal  of  the  Spaniards 
gazed  with  fear  on  the  number  of  their  captives. 

"  They  are  ten  times  our  number,"  said  they  among 
themselves.  "  If  they  chose  to  rise  upon  us  while  we  slept 
they  could  slay  us  all." 

Some  even  went  to  Pizarro  and  made  their  complaints 
to  him,  and  suggested  that  they  should  kill  all  the  young 
warriors,  "  or  at  least,"  said  some,  ''  cut  off  their  right 
hands." 

Pizarro  smiled  gravely  at  the  speakers. 

"  If  you  do  that,"  he  said,  "  you  would  arm  the  very 
women  and  children  against  you,  and  for  eveiy  man  you 
slew,  or  whose  hand  you  cut  off,  you  would  have  an  enemy 
who  would  strike  at  you  when  you  were  most  off  your 
guard.  No,  lads,  you  are  too  fearful.  We  have  done 
well  at  our  first  effort,  and  now  our  best  policy  is  to  treat 
the  people  with  humanity." 

Then,  through  the  medium  of  the  interpreters,  he  told 
tlie  captive  warriors  to  go  to  their  homes,  telling  them  that 

147 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

the  Spaniards  would  injure  no  one  who  did  not  take  up 
arms  against  them.  When,  according  to  this  command, 
the  young  warriors  had  left  the  town,  a  large  number  of 
Indians  still  remained  who  had  been  employed  about  the 
Court  of  the  Inca  in  various  menial  offices.  These  were 
retained  to  wait  on  the  conquerors,  and  so  well  supplied 
were  the  Spaniards  with  servants  by  this  means,  that  the 
roughest  and  poorest  soldier  had  as  many  menials  to  do 
him  services  as  would  have  befitted  a  rich  and  noble 
hidalgo  of  Spain. 

The  booty  brought  back  by  de  Soto  from  the  Inca's  camp 
at  the  baths  consisted  mainly  of  plate  for  the  royal  table. 
It  was  in  silver  and  gold,  and  the  weight  and  richness  of 
design  astonished  the  Spaniards.  There  were  also  some 
very  fine  emeralds  discovered  among  the  spoil,  and  these, 
together  with  the  rich  ornaments  found  on  the  bodies  of 
the  nobles  slain  in  the  plaza,  were  placed  in  safe  custody 
with  the  plate,  to  be  shared  among  the  conquerors  at  some 
future  time. 

Among  the  buildings  in  the  deserted  city,  which  the 
soldiers  now  overran,  were  found  great  magazines  stored 
with  goods,  both  cotton  and  woollen,  of  so  fine  a  texture 
that  the  men  declared  they  had  never  seen  such  work 
even  in  Spain.  Every  soldier  took  what  he  wanted  from 
this  store,  yet  afterwards  there  remained  several  shiploads. 

Meanwhile  Pizarro  sent  a  messenger  back  to  San  Miguel 
to  report  his  success  and  to  leam  whether  any  reinforce- 
ments had  yet  arrived  from  Panama.  He  desired  to  push 
on  to  Cuzco,  the  capital  of  the  country,  but  he  did  not  care 
to  do  this  with  his  present  small  forces.  He  would  have 
to  keep  a  strong  guard  about  the  Inca,  and  thus  reduce  his 
numbers  should  the  natives  seek  to  do  battle  with  him  on 
his  march. 

148 


The  Inca's   Ransom 

In  the  meantime  he  employed  the  soldiers  in  making 
Caxamalca  a  more  fitting  place  of  residence  for  himself 
and  his  men.  He  took  up  his  own  quarters  in  a  palace  of 
the  Incas  which  was  situated  in  the  town,  and  there  also, 
in  his  own  suite  of  apartments,  Atahualpa  was  kept 
imprisoned  under  a  strong  guard.  Nevertheless,  he  was 
allowed  to  have  all  his  wives  with  him,  and  many  of  the 
officers  of  his  Court  waited  upon  him,  and  he  received 
visits  from  various  Inca  chieftains  daily. 

Many  were  the  conversations  which,  as  the  days  passed, 
the  Spanish  leaders  had  with  the  captive  Inca.  He  had 
learned  of  the  booty  they  had  seized  at  his  pleasure  palace 
in  the  camp  by  the  baths,  and  one  day  he  smilingly  told 
Pizarro  that  he  had  seized  treasure  which,  in  comparison 
with  that  which  was  stored  at  his  capital,  was  almost 
insignificant. 

Afterwards  the  Spaniards  got  him  to  describe  the 
wonders  of  the  rich  city  of  Cuzco,  and  often,  when  the 
monk  Valverde  came  to  speak  to  him  of  the  Spaniards' 
religion,  his  talk  ended  in  questions  on  the  same  subject, 
in  which  the  others  joined. 

Very  soon,  therefore,  the  Inca  realized  that  for  all  their 
zeal  to  convert  him  and  his  subjects  to  the  Christian  faith, 
they  had  a  hunger  for  gold  more  powerful  than  either 
religion  or  conquest. 

This  knowledge  gave  him  the  thought  that  he  might 
use  their  lust  for  gold  for  the  purpose  of  gaining  his  own 
freedom.  There  was  one  great  reason  for  which  he  desired 
his  freedom,  and  that  quickly.  It  was  this.  A  few  months 
only  separated  him  from  the  great  battle  in  which  he  had 
overcome  the  forces  of  his  half-brother,  Huascar,  and 
taken  him  prisoner.  Ever  since  his  defeat,  Huascar  had 
been  kept  a  close  prisoner  in  a  town  at  no  great  distance 

149 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

from  Caxamalca.  Atahualpa  feared,  Avith  good  reason,  as 
it  appeared,  that  Huascar  would  find  it  easy  to  corrupt 
his  guards,  make  his  escape,  and  put  himself  at  the  head 
of  the  empire  with  no  one  to  deny  him. 

His  resolution  was  quickly  taken,  and  the  next  time 
Pizarro  visited  him  with  some  of  the  Spanish  officers, 
Atahualpa  interrupted  the  conversation  and  said  : 

"  Set  me  free,  chieftain  !  If  you  will  do  that,  I  will 
cover  the  floor  of  this  room  with  gold  !  " 

The  Spaniards  listened  to  Felipillo's  translation  of  these 
words  with  incredulous  smiles,  and  gazed  at  the  Inca  half 
in  mockery. 

Some  looked  around  the  chamber  and  roughly  measured 
its  dimensions.  It  was  about  seventeen  feet  broad,  by 
t>venty-fwo  feet  long  and  some  ten  or  eleven  feet  high. 

The  Inca,  somewhat  annoyed  at  the  mockery  in  the 
faces  of  the  Spaniards,  stamped  his  foot  and  said  : 

"  You  smile  as  if  you  think  I  lied.  But  I  tell  you  that 
not  only  will  I  cover  the  floor  with  gold,  but,  if  you  give  me 
my  liberty,  I  will  fill  this  room  with  gold  as  high  as  I  can 
reach — ^look,  as  high  as  this." 

Striding  to  one  side  of  the  chamber,  he  reached  up  on 
tiptoe,  and  with  his  finger  made  a  mark  high  up  the  wall. 

All  stared  with  astonishment  at  the  Inca's  evident 
earnestness,  and  marvelled  at  the  thought  that  perhaps  he 
might  be  speaking  truth. 

"  Is  he  mad,  seiiores,"  said  Hernando  Pizarro,  "  or  is 
he  trying  to  deceive  us  ?  " 

Some  said  he  had  lost  his  wits,  others  that  there  might 
be  some  truth  in  what  he  spoke. 

"  Seiiores,"  said  Pizarro,  "  there  is  no  harm  in  taking 
him  at  his  word.  We  have  heard  many  tales  of  the  abund- 
ant treasure  in  this  land.     Moreover,  if  we  let  the  Inca 

150 


The   Inca's  Ransom 

give  orders  for  its  collection,  we  shall  obtain  all  there  is, 
whereas  if  we  tried  to  get  it  ourselves,  the  Indians  would 
of  a  surety  conceal  or  steal  it." 

"  Tell  the  Inca,"  said  Pizarro,  turning  to  Felipillo,  "  that 
I  agree.  Let  him  fill  this  room  to  the  height  at  which  he 
points  with  gold.     Get  me  some  red  paint  and  I  will  mark 

the  line." 

The  Inca's  eyes  shone  with  joy  when  he  heard  that  the 
Spaniards  would  agree  to  his  terms,  and  paint  having  been 
brought,  Pizarro  caused  one  of  the  Indians  to  draw  a  red 
line  on  the  walls  of  the  room  at  the  height  of  about  nine 
feet  from  the  floor. 

"Call  Don  Zerez,  the  notary,"  commanded  Pizarro, 
"  and  we  will  have  this  compact  put  on  record." 

When  the  man  of  inkhorn  and  parchment  had  entered 
and  arranged  his  writing  materials,  Pizarro  said  : 

"  Write  me  down  this,  that  the  King  Atahualpa  agrees, 
for  the  price  of  his  liberty,  to  fill  this  room  with  gold  from 
the  floor  even  up  to  the  red  mark  which  is  drawn  upon  the 
wafls.  Say,  Inca,"  he  went  on,  speaking  to  his  prisoner, 
"shall  this  gold   be  melted  down  before  it  is  brought 

here  ?  " 

"  I  think  you  wish  not  to  make  my  task  so  hard,"  replied 
the  Inca.  "  Great  will  be  the  treasure,  greater  than  ye 
have  ever  seen  in  one  room  ;  but  it  will  be  in  goblets, 
plates,  salvers,  and  in  sheets  from  the  temple  walls." 

"  Go  on,"  said  Pizarro  to  the  notary.  "  The  gold  shall 
be  brought  here  in  the  forms  into  which  it  is  made,  so  that 
the  Inca  may  have  the  benefit  of  the  spaces  between." 

"  I  will  also  cause  silver  to  be  brought  here,"  said  the 
Inca,  who  now  that  a  definite  task  seemed  to  be  set  forth 
as  the  price  of  his  liberty,  was  moved  quite  beyond 
himself. 

151 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

He  walked  up  and  down,  his  eyes  glowing  with  satis- 
faction, a  smile  on  his  hitherto  grave  face. 

"  My  subjects  can  bring  silver  as  well  as  gold — so  much 
indeed,"  he  went  on,  "  that  I  will  fill  the  robing  chamber 
which  is  beside  this  one  twice  full  with  nuggets  and  articles 
of  silver." 

"  Write  it  down,  notary,"  said  Pizarro,  whose  eyes, 
together  with  those  of  his  officers,  gleamed  at  hearing 
the  possibility  of  such  vast  wealth  coming  within  their 
reach. 

"  And  within  what  time  will  all  this  be  done  ?  "  asked 
the  notary. 

The  Inca  hesitated  a  moment  when  this  question  was  put 
to  him.  The  fevered  light  in  his  eye  gloomed  for  a  little 
as  he  thought  of  the  time  that  must  elapse  before  he  could 
perform  his  task,  regain  his  liberty,  and  thus  make  sure 
of  preventing  his  rival  Huascar  from  escaping  and  laying 
claim  to  the  throne.  But  he  would  cause  his  servants  to 
work  night  and  day  to  carry  out  his  orders  to  bring  the 
gold  and  silver  for  his  ransom.  Two  months  was  the  least 
time  in  which  it  might  be  done,  though  that  would  mean 
incessant  labour.     Yet  it  must  be  done. 

"  In  two  months  from  now,"  he  replied,  "  shall  this 
room  be  filled  with  gold  and  the  lesser  room  shall  be  twice 
filled  with  silver." 

"  Put  it  down,"  said  Pizarro  to  the  notary ;  "  and  then 
read  it  to  us." 

The  notary  did  so,  and  when  each  sentence  had  been 
translated  to  the  Inca  he  said  it  was  all  as  he  had 
agreed. 

When  this  had  been  done  the  Inca  called  several  of  his 
Indian  servants  and  officers  and  bade  them  instantly  depart 
to  Cuzco  and  other  chief  cities,  with  orders  to  bring  from  the 

152 


The  Inca's  Ransom 

royal  palaces,  temples  and  other  buildings  the  treasures 
of  gold  and  silver  to  be  found  there,  and  send  them  by 
rapid  carriers  to  Caxamalca. 

One  day,  a  little  after  this,  word  was  brought  to 
Pizarro  that  a  messenger  from  Huascar,  the  half-brother 
of  Atahualpa,  desired  to  speak  to  him.  On  being  brought 
before  him  the  Inca  chieftain  said  : 

"  Lord,  I  come  from  my  master,  the  rightful  heir  to  this 
kingdom,  Huascar,  son  of  the  great  king,  Huayna  Capac. 
By  the  word  of  my  mouth  my  master  sends  thee  greeting 
and  this  message.  That  he  hath  heard  of  the  ransom 
which  Atahualpa  hath  offered  to  thee  for  his  liberty,  but 
he,  Huascar,  says  that  he  will  give  thee  a  much  greater 
ransom  if  thou  wilt  cause  him  to  be  released.  Moreover, 
it  is  only  he,  Huascar,  who  knows  where  all  the  wealth 
of  his  great  father,  Huayna  Capac,  is  kept.  Atahualpa 
the  usurper  knoweth  it  not.  He  hath  never  lived  at 
Cuzco,  where  is  the  chief  palace  of  my  master's  father,  and 
knoweth  not  the  secret  places  of  the  treasures.  If,  there- 
fore, thou  wilt  release  Huascar  and  aid  him  to  regain  the 
throne  of  his  fathers  which  Atahualpa  hath  wickedly 
usurped,  Huascar  will  give  thee  double  the  treasure 
which  the  usurper  hath  promised  thee,  and  will  be  thy 
friend  and  protector  always." 

Pizarro  listened  eagerly  to  the  message,  though  his  grave 
face  showed  nothing  of  the  emotions  in  his  brain.  He  saw 
at  once  the  importance  of  playing  off  the  rivals  one  against 
the  other.  The  advantages  to  be  gained  were  obvious. 
By  aiding  with  his  own  force  the  king  whom  he  preferred, 
he  would  make  sure  of  that  king's  success  ;  and  ever  after- 
wards the  party  who  held  the  sovereignty  of  Peru  would 
be  a  ready  servant  to  him.  But  it  would  not  be  wise  to 
show  which  he  preferred  at  once,  since,  by  keeping  them 

153 


The   Conquerors  of  Peru 

in  suspense,  he  could  see  better  which  might  serve  his 
purpose  best. 

"  Tell  your  master,"  he  said,  "  that  I  will  consider  his 
message,  but  I  must  first  learn  the  truth  of  the  claims 
which  each  of  the  rivals  has  to  the  throne  of  this  country. 
When  I  have  learned  that,  I  will  make  judgment  and  say 
which  of  them  has  the  best  title  to  the  sceptre  of  the  Incas." 

The  messenger  withdrew,  and  as  secretly  as  possible 
made  his  way  back  to  Huascar,  and  reported  the  result 
of  his  embassy.  But  there  was  treachery  somewhere, 
and  someone,  hoping  to  gain  the  favour  of  Atahualpa, 
went  to  him  and  reported  the  message  which  had  been  sent 
to  the  Spanish  general  on  behalf  of  Huascar,  and  the  result. 

Atahualpa  was  full  of  rage  when  he  heard  that  his  half- 
brother  and  rival  had  craved  the  help  of  Pizarro,  and 
considered  what  course  he  should  now  take.  While  he 
reflected,  Pizarro  and  some  of  the  Spanish  officers  came  to 
him  and  began  to  ask  questions  of  him  concerning  the  war 
which  had  been  fought  between  himself  and  Huascar. 

The  Inca  answered  warily,  and  then  by  various  questions 
tried  to  learn  what  was  Pizarro's  resolve  concerning 
Huascar's  proposal.  But  the  Spanish  general  was  not 
to  be  drawn.  Rising,  Pizarro  terminated  the  interview, 
and  with  his  final  words  gave  the  Inca  even  more  than  he 
wished  to  know. 

"  I  think,"  said  the  Spaniard,  "  that  this  matter  of 
dispute  between  you  and  your  half-brother  is  one  which 
must  be  justly  settled.  I  intend  therefore  to  have  Huascar 
brought  here,  and  when  I  have  heard  both  your  cases,  I 
will  determine  which  has  the  truer  claim  to  the  throne." 

Wlien  the  Inca  was  left  alone  he  paced  his  apartment 
with  hasty  strides,  his  hands  clenched,  his  bloodshot  eyes 
looking  fiercer  than  usual.     At  length,  ceasing  his  walk, 

154 


The  Inca's   Ransom 

he  bade  one  of  his  women  in  the  room  call  a  certain 
chieftain  from  those  who  waited  in  an  outer  chamber. 

The  officer,  an  Inca  noble,  entered  the  presence  of  the 
Inca,  with  bare  feet,  and  bowed  ^ith  a  burden  on  his  back, 
as  was  the  custom,  in  token  of  extreme  humility.  Having 
come  to  the  foot  of  the  low  throne  on  which  the  Inca  sat, 
the  noble  kneeled,  and  waited  for  the  king  to  speak.  Ata- 
hualpa  leaned  forward  and  said  a  few  words  in  a  low  tone 
close  to  the  ear  of  the  chief.  When  he  had  finished  speaking 
the  noble  bowed  still  lower,  then,  rising,  he  shouldered  his 
burden  again  and  retreated  from  the  chamber  backward . 

Two  days  later,  in  the  dawn  of  morning,  young  Huascar, 
the  rightful  king  of  Peru,  who  had  endeared  himself  to 
his  people  by  his  gentle  manners  and  kindly  words,  was 
awakened  early  from  his  sleep.  A  guard  of  six  armed 
men  entered  his  prison,  and  the  leader  of  them  bade  him 
rise  and  come  with  them. 

They  surrounded  him  and  led  him  forth.  To  his 
repeated  inquiries  what  was  their  purpose  with  him  they 
made  no  reply.  At  length  they  came  to  the  river  which 
ran  by  his  prison  and  he  was  bidden  to  get  into  a  boat 
alone.     He  resisted,  and  they  forced  him  into  it. 

He  knew  then  what  was  their  intention,  and  silently 
permitted  them  to  bind  him  to  the  boat.  He  preserved 
a  calm  dignity  when,  having  seated  themselves  in  two 
other  boats,  they  drew  him  out  into  the  middle  of  the 
broad  stream.  Arrived  there,  they  began  to  pull  apart 
some  of  the  ropes  that  held  the  timbers  of  his  boat  together. 
Water  began  to  flow  in  and  to  swamp  the  little  craft. 

"  I  see  ye  will  drown  me,"  he  said,  in  a  quiet  voice. 
"  This  is  my  brother's  will,  but  tell  ye  him  that  even  as  I 
die  a  violent  death,  so  too  shall  he,  and  that  ere  long.  And 
the  white  men  will  avenge  my  murder." 

155 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

Already  he  was  sinking  in  the  waters,  and  as  his  last 
words  were  uttered  the  waves  closed  over  him  and  his 
calm,  pale  face  sank  downwards  into  the  dark  depths. 
The  murderers  waited  over  the  spot  until  the  bubbles 
ceased  to  rise  and  the  agitation  of  the  water  had  wholly 
vanished,  and  then  rowed  slowly  back  to  land. 

A  few  days  later  Pizarro  received  a  message  saying  that 
the  Inca  desired  to  speak  to  him.  Entering  the  chamber 
of  Atahualpa,  he  found  him  pacing  the  room  as  if  in  great 
distress  of  mind. 

"  Sefior,"  said  the  Inca,  "  a  great  calamity  has  fallen 
upon  my  brother  Huascar.  His  guards  suspected  that  a 
plot  was  on  foot  to  try  a  rescue,  and  fearing  he  would 
escape,  they  have  slain  him.  My  poor  brother  !  I  cannot 
tell  you  how  deep  is  my  sorrow  for  his  untimely  death." 

For  a  moment  Pizarro  stared  at  the  Inca  with  a  stem 
face,  and  in  silence  ;  then  he  cried  : 

"  I'll  not  believe  it  !  Why  should  his  guards  slay  him 
without  command  ?  " 

"  I  know  not,  seiior,"  was  the  reply.  "  They  shall  be 
slain  in  their  turn  for  their  crime  upon  my  poor  brother." 

"  I  tell  you,"  replied  Pizarro,  "  that  if  he  indeed  be 
dead,  you  shall  answer  for  his  life." 

Saying  which  the  Spanish  general  strode  in  anger  from 
the  room.  He  sent  trusty  messengers  to  leam  the  truth 
as  to  the  death  of  Huascar ;  and  the  news  was  confirmed — 
namely,  that,  fearful  lest  Huascar  might  escape,  his  guards 
had  taken  it  upon  themselves  to  put  an  end  to  his  life. 

Pizarro  said  no  more  on  the  subject,  but  felt  sure  that 
the  Inca,  fearing  the  effect  of  Pizarro 's  inquiry  into  the 
justice  of  the  quarrel  between  the  brothers,  had  given 
secret  orders  to  have  Huascar  slain. 

As  the  weeks  passed  and  the  Indian  carriers  slowly 

156 


The   Inca's   Ransom 

brought  in  the  pieces  of  gold  and  silver  from  the  many 
distant  towns  whence  the  Inca  had  commanded  that 
treasure  was  to  be  brought,  a  rumour  began  to  spread 
among  the  Spaniards  that  Atahualpa  was  communicating 
with  his  subjects  all  over  the  kingdom  in  order  to  plan  a 
universal  rising,  so  that  the  small  Spanish  force  could  be 
overwhelmed  at  one  blow. 

These  suspicions  were  related  to  Pizarro.  and  even  the 
name  of  the  city  which  rumour  said  was  appointed  to  be 
the  rendezvous  for  the  armies  of  the  Indians  was  men- 
tioned. It  was  Guamachucho,  a  city  lying  a  few  miles 
distant  from  Caxamalca. 

Pizarro  immediately  went  to  the  Inca  and  bluntly  told 
him  of  the  rumours.  Atahualpa  hardly  heard  his  first 
words  before  he  broke  out  in  repudiation  of  the  charge. 

"  It  is  false  !  "  he  cried.  "  None  of  my  subjects  would 
dare  to  appear  in  arms  or  to  raise  his  finger,  ^vithout  my 
orders." 

"  Nevertheless,"  said  Pizarro  sternly,  "  some  of  your 
subjects  seem  to  have  raised  their  hands  against  your 
brother  without  your  orders." 

For  a  moment  the  Inca  was  nonplussed,  but  recovering 
himself  quickly,  he  said  : 

"  I  have  given  orders  that  those  who  slew  him  shall  be 
slain  ;  and  as  to  the  suspicions  you  have  against  me,  I 
am  in  your  power.  Is  not  my  life  at  your  disposal  ? 
What  better  security  can  you  have  for  my  fidelity  ?  " 

Pizarro  was  not  convinced,  and  left  the  Inca  without 
further  parley.  He  then  went  to  his  brother  Hernando, 
and  ordered  him  to  take  twenty  horsemen  and  a  small 
body  of  infantry  and  go  to  the  town  of  Guamachucho 
to  see  whether  there  were  any  signs  of  preparation  for  a 
rising  among  the  people. 

157 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

Hernando  immediately  set  out,  and  reaching  the  town 
in  a  forced  march  he  found  everything  quiet,  and  was 
received  with  kindness  by  the  natives.  Before  leaving  the 
place  a  messenger  arrived  from  Pizarro,  ordering  him  to 
continue  his  march  and  to  visit  the  town  of  Pachacamac, 
situated  on  the  coast,  at  least  a  hundred  leagues  distant 
from  Caxamalca.  There  he  was  to  seize  the  treasure  of 
the  temple,  which  was  said  to  be  of  incalculable  value,  as 
it  had  accumulated  for  centuries. 

It  was  an  arduous  journey  that  the  conquerors  had  now 
to  take.  For  a  time  their  route  lay  on  fairly  level  ground, 
but  then  the  road  ascended  to  the  Cordilleras,  along  the 
tableland  of  which  they  travelled.  The  journey  would 
have  been  much  more  difficult  or  painful,  but  soon  they 
struck  the  highroad  from  Pachacamac  to  Cuzco,  which 
past  generations  of  kings  had  cut  through  the  rocky  soil 
of  the  mountains. 

As  they  tramped  along  this  road  the  admiration  of 
Hernando  Pizarro  was  excited  for  the  work  of  men  whom 
the  rougher  Spaniards  looked  upon  as  inferior  creatures. 

"  By  my  faith,"  he  said,  and  has  left  his  words  in  his 
history  of  these  events,  "  nothing  in  Christendom  equals 
this  road  across  the  sierra." 

It  was  indeed  a  magnificent  work,  worthy,  in  the  evi- 
dence which  it  gave  of  power  and  civilization,  to  rank  with 
the  great  roads  which  the  Romans  built,  and  which  can 
still  be  seen,  grass  grown  and  neglected,  driving  their 
arrow-like  way  across  many  a  wide  landscape  in  England. 

For  many  miles  the  road  over  the  mountains  was 
levelled  from  the  living  rock,  in  places  which,  for  the  most 
part  of  the  year,  were  covered  with  snow,  while  in  other 
parts  the  way  was  tunnelled  out  of  the  granite  peaks  which 
reared  up  as  if  to  stop  the  daring  work  of  adze  and  hammer. 

158 


The  Inca's   Ransom 

It  was  laid  with  heavy  flags  of  freestone,  and  in  some  places 
covered  with  a  cement,  so  that  it  was  always  level  and 
easy  to  march  upon. 

Here  and  there  were  cliffs  which  could  not  be  pierced, 
but  with  infinite  labour  they  were  cut  into  steps,  protected 
on  their  sides  by  parapets  or  balustrades  of  heavy  stones. 
These  stairways  were  often  so  precipitous  that  the  horses 
had  to  be  pulled  up  them  by  main  force. 

Whatever  obstacle  lay  before  it,  the  Spaniards  found 
that  it  had  been  surmounted,  and  that  generally  the  road 
kept  its  even  width  of  twenty  feet  throughout  its  length. 
Where  a  chasm  yawned,  as  if  by  some  titanic  force  the 
mountain  had  been  split  asunder,  the  ravine  was  filled 
with  solid  masonry,  and  the  road  was  carried  over  the 
bridge  thus  formed,  while  an  abyss  of  hideous  depth  lay 
on  either  hand  of  the  travellers.  In  places,  the  torrent 
at  the  bottom  of  these  chasms  had  worn  its  way  through 
the  base  of  the  masonry,  and,  gradually  eating  away  the 
stones,  left  the  upper  part  spanning  the  valley  like  an 
arch. 

Frequently  the  Spaniards  heard  the  thunder  of  water 
before  them,  and  soon  they  would  come  to  where  a  wide 
torrent  or  a  swift  and  powerful  stream  ploughed  and  drove 
through  the  mountains.  Some  of  these  were  crossed  by 
wooden  bridges,  but  where  the  chasm  was  too  wide  for 
this,  the  Spaniards  found  great  swinging  bridges  made  of 
rope-like  osiers. 

When  they  came  upon  the  first  bridge  of  this  kind,  the 
horsemen  especially  hesitated,  looking  upon  the  attempt 
to  pass  themselves  and  their  animals  across  the  structure 
as  certain  to  end  in  death. 

Examining  the  formation  of  the  bridge,  they  found 
it  was  composed  of  osiers  woven  into  cables  of  the  thick- 

159 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

ness  of  a  man's  body.  Several  of  these  were  bound  together 
side  by  side,  and  on  the  top  planks  were  tied  across,  their 
sides  protected  by  a  low  railing  of  osier-rope. 

The  ends  of  the  cables,  which  rested  on  the  brink  of  the 
abyss,  were  run  through  rings  or  holes  which  had  been  cut 
in  immense  buttresses  of  stone,  and  then  secured  to  heavy 
pieces  of  timber.  A  gate  was  placed  across  the  entrance 
to  the  bridge,  and  beside  it  was  a  small  house,  in  which 
resided  an  Indian,  whose  duty  it  was  to  take  toll  of 
travellers. 

Having  examined  all  this,  Hernando  Pizarro  turned  to 
his  men  and  said  : 

"  This  bridge  is  as  marvellous  as  the  road  by  which  we 
have  come,  and  as  safe." 

He  commanded  the  Indian  tollkeeper  to  open  the  gate, 
and  this  being  done  he  led  his  horse  forward  on  to  the 
bridge,  followed  by  his  men,  who  could  not  well  show  lack 
of  confidence  in  their  leader  by  refusing  to  proceed. 

As  they  approached  the  middle  of  the  bridge,  where  it 
dipped  deeply  down  toward  the  torrent  roaring  beneath, 
it  began  to  sway  with  the  movements  of  the  men  and 
horses.  Some  of  the  Spaniards  cast  terrified  glances  at 
the  dark  abyss  of  waters  which  could  be  seen  through  the 
openings  between  the  planks,  foaming  and  coiling  far 
below.  -  Others  pushed  up  close  towards  Hernando,  as  if 
they  wished  to  rush  in  a  panic  madly  across  the  tottering 
and  trembling  structure  ;  but  they  dared  not  pass  their 
leader,  who  did  not  hurry  his  step,  but  walked  as  quietly 
and  calmly  as  if  he  led  his  horse  through  a  meadow  path. 

After  they  had  had  occasion  to  cross  several  of  these 
bridges  the  Spanish  soldiers  found  that  Hernando's  words 
were  true,  and  that,  however  frail  they  looked,  they  were 
strong  enough  to  bear  much  greater  weights  than  armed 

1 60 


The   Inca's   Ransom 

men  and  horses,  though  they  had  been  built  only  for  the 
passage  of  lightly-clad  Indians  and  slender-limbed  llamas. 

As  they  passed  along  the  road  they  frequently  met  with 
gangs  of  Indians  under  the  command  of  some  official, 
engaged  in  repairing  the  roads  or  bridges  ;  and  in  the 
loneliest  regions  of  the  mountains  they  would  see  huge 
flocks  of  whitey-brown  llamas  feeding  on  the  stunted 
herbage  of  these  high  altitudes,  tended  by  shepherds  in 
gaudy  blankets,  the  colour  of  the  caps  upon  their  head 
indicating  the  district  of  which  they  were  natives.  The 
Spaniards  learned  that  these  animals  were  carefully 
tended,  and  their  migrations  from  mountain  to  valley 
pastures  closely  regulated,  since  the  whole  of  the  clothing 
of  the  Peruvians  was  made  from  their  wool. 

Except  in  the  highest  parts  of  the  sierras,  the  Spaniards 
found  hamlets  and  villages  scattered  everywhere,  and 
every  rood  of  ground  was  cultivated.  Where  the  moun- 
tain declivities  were  too  steep,  they  were  cut  into  broad 
terraces,  and  the  bare  and  sterile  rock  covered  with  soil 
brought  from  a  distance.  Water,  also,  by  many  channels 
marvellously  arranged,  was  conducted  to  each  field,  so 
that  where,  at  the  turn  of  the  road,  the  Spaniards  often 
expected  to  see  desolate  windy  ridges  of  lichen-covered 
rock,  or  wastes  of  sandy  soil,  they  saw  instead  orchards 
and  gardens  bright  with  blossom,  or  fields  of  Indian  com, 
from  the  green  and  tender  ear  in  the  upper  regions,  to 
yellow  ripeness  in  the  lower  lands,  where  the  more  genial 
climate  quickened  the  time  of  harvest. 

At  all  these  villages  the  Spaniards  were  well  received 
by  the  courteous  people.  Whether  this  was  by  reason  of 
the  commands  of  the  Inca,  or  by  the  awe  of  their  deeds, 
report  of  which  had  spread  with  words  of  terror  through 
the  land,  the  Spaniards  did  not  know  ;   but  lodgings  were 

L  i6i 


The  Conquerors   of  Peru 

provided  for  them,  with  food  and  refreshments  and  all 
things  which  they  needed. 

At  length,  having  descended  from  the  mountains  and 
traversed  the  few  miles  of  level  land  which  intervened  be- 
tween them  and  the  coast,  they  approached  the  city  of 
Pachacamac.  It  was  a  town  of  large  size,  with  narrow 
streets,  for  the  most  part  lined  with  houses  of  sun-dried 
mud  or  adobe  ;  but  the  dwellings  of  the  Inca  lords  and  the 
palace  of  the  Inca  were  as  usual  built  solidly  of  large 
worked  stones. 

The  town  lay  at  the  foot  of  a  hill  about  whose  conical 
top  was  built  a  vast  stone  building,  or  several  buildings, 
dominated  by  two  of  equal  height,  one  on  each  side  of  the 
hill -top. 

As  Hernando  Pizarro  and  his  men  approached  the  hill, 
Martinillo,  the  interpreter,  riding  beside  the  Spanish  leader, 
told  him  of  the  origin  of  the  town. 

'  It  takes  its  name  from  a  god  whose  altars  were  found 
here  when  the  ancestors  of  the  Incas  first  conquered  this 
land,"  he  said,  "  So  deeply  was  the  worship  of  the  god 
implanted  in  the  hearts  of  the  natives  that  the  Incas 
deemed  that  they  would  not  try  to  drive  it  out,  but, 
instead,  they  caused  a  temple  and  an  altar  to  be  raised 
beside  those  to  the  native  god.  Thus  have  they  stood 
for  hundreds  of  years." 

"  If  the  god  has  been  so  venerated,"  replied  Hernando, 
"  the  worshippers  have  surely  brought  much  wealth  in 
offerings  to  the  temple." 

'*  Men  say  it  is  the  wealthiest  in  the  land,"  said  Martin- 
illo. "  Pilgrims  come  to  the  holy  place  of  the  god  from 
every  corner  of  the  kingdom,  and  bring  many  gifts  to 
please  the  god.  His  wisdom  is  said  to  be  greatest  of  all 
the  gods,  and  his  words,  spoken  through  the  mouths  of  his 

162 


The   Inca's   Ransom 

priests,  are  valued  as  much  by  the  highest  Inca  lord  as  by 
the  poorest  Indian  bearer." 

As  the  Spaniards  approached  the  temple  they  saw  people 
running  this  way  and  that  along  the  causeway  which  led 
from  the  town  to  the  temple.  Some,  in  the  dress  of 
priests,  rushed  into  the  gate  of  the  temple,  and  soon  the 
causeway  was  deserted,  except  at  the  tovm  end,  where  a 
dark  mass  of  people  gathered  in  a  crowd  which  every 
moment  became  denser.  These  stood  and  watched  with 
great  intentness  the  strange  armed  men,  and  did  not 
attempt  to  offer  any  opposition  or  show  any  hostility. 

Hernando  Pizarro  reined  his  horse  before  the  great 
wooden  door  of  the  temple,  which  was  closed,  and,  by  the 
mouth  of  Martinillo,  demanded  entrance  in  the  name  of 
the  Inca,  at  the  same  time  holding  forth  a  wristlet  of 
pure  gold  marked  with  the  pattern  worn  only  by  the 
Lica. 

For  a  few  moments  there  was  silence,  during  which 
Hernando  and  the  other  riders  descended  from  their 
horses.  Then  a  wicket  opened  in  the  great  door,  and  a 
priest  stood  in  the  opening.  He  glanced  at  the  mail-clad 
figures  before  h  m,  and  then  at  the  gold  wristlet  held  forth 
by  Martinillo. 

"  The  priests  of  the  holy  Pachacamac  cannot  admit 
into  the  sanctuary  men  with  arms  in  their  hands,"  said 
the  priest,  and  was  about  to  shut  the  door. 

Leaping  forward,  Hernando  shouted,  "  I  have  conie  too 
far  to  be  stayed  by  a  priest." 

With  one  blow  he  had  beaten  back  the  wicket  and 
dashed  through  into  a  dark  tunnel,  closely  followed  by  his 
men.  Swiftly  running  forward,  they  found  that  the 
tunnel  opened  into  a  stone  gallery  built  in  a  spiral  about 
Llie  hill.     They  raced  round  this,  and  at  length  emerged 

163 


The   Conquerors  of  Peru 

on  a  flat  area  upon  the  top  of  the  mount,  at  one  end  of 
which  stood  a  square  stone  building. 

Martinillo,  who  had  followed  them,  now  breathlessly 
shouted  : 

"  That  is  the  sanctuary,  the  jDlace  of  the  god.  Have  a 
care,  for  all  dread  to  approach  it." 

Martinillo,  since  he  had  taken  service  with  the  Spanish, 
professed  himself  a  devout  Catholic,  but  for  all  his  pro- 
testations he  remained  as  much  a  pagan  as  ever,  and 
expected  to  see  some  dreadful  death  fall  and  blast  the 
desecrating  Christians. 

Priests  stood  on  the  open  space  before  the  door  of 
the  sanctuary,  and  with  loud  voices  besought  the 
Spaniards  not  to  affront  the  god,  Martinillo  adding  his 
persuasions. 

Suddenly,  just  as  Hernando,  with  fierce  looks,  strode 
forward  to  thrust  an  old  white  priest  from  before  the  door, 
the  ground  shook,  a  muttering  was  heard  beneath  their 
feet,  and  the  walls  of  the  temples  on  the  hill -side  below 
them  trembled  and  heaved. 

With  hands  held  before  their  faces,  as  if  to  shut  out  the 
dreadful  sight  of  the  vengeance  of  the  outraged  god,  the 
priests  fled,  Martinillo  running  with  them. 

"  Polluters  and  desecrators  !  "  they  shrieked.  "  He 
will  engulf  you  !    He  will  blast  you  with  his  fire  !  " 

Hernando,  with  stern  look,  glanced  round  at  his  men. 

"'  Courage,  lads  !  "  he  cried.  "  We  fight  the  good  fight 
of  the  Cross  and  no  demons  may  have  power  over  us." 

Then,  approaching  the  door,  he  pushed  it  open  and 
entered,  followed  by  his  men.  They  had  expected  to  find 
the  place  blazing  with  gold  and  silver  and  precious  jewels, 
but  instead  was  a  small  and  dimly  lit  chamber,  from  the 
floor  and  sides  of  which  rose  steam,  which  came  from  a 

164 


The  Inca's  Ransom 

hollow  below  Llie  floor,  where  the  victims  were  sacrificed  to 
the  god. 

A  few  pieces  of  gold  and  some  emeralds  gleamed  in  the 
obscure  light  on  the  floor  ;  and  then,  as  their  eyes  became 
used  to  the  half  darkness,  they  saw  in  the  farthest  comer 
of  the  room  the  figure  of  the  god. 

It  was  a  roughly  shaped  log,  black  with  age  and 
blood,  with  a  head  roughly  shaped  to  resemble  that  of 
a  man. 

This  was  Pachacamac,  who  granted  the  prayers  of 
worshippers,  and  who  uttered  oracles  in  response  to  the 
petitions  which  the  priests  brought  to  him,  bearing  in  their 
hands  the  gifts  of  those  who  craved  the  god's  aid. 

Tearing  the  figure  from  the  recess  in  which  it  stood, 
Hernando  threw  it  out  among  the  feet  of  his  men,  who 
instantly  seized  it,  and  with  their  poniards  hewed  it  into 
a  hundred  pieces. 

Then,  leaving  the  temple,  the  Spaniards  regained  their 
horses  and  went  into  the  town,  where  the  natives,  finding 
that  the  powers  of  their  god  were  less  than  those  of  the 
Spaniards,  came  to  them  and  tendered  their  homage  to 
the  wonderful  strangers,  whom  they  now  looked  upon  with 
superstitious  awe. 

Hernando  took  advantage  of  their  feelings  to  tell  them 
something  of  the  religion  of  the  Christians,  and  showed 
them  how  helpless  their  god  had  been  when  the  power  of 
the  God  of  the  Christians  had  been  raised  against  it.  They 
should  learn  from  this,  he  said,  to  turn  to  the  true  God 
and  worship  Him,  rather  than  the  helpless  demon  they 
had  hitherto  venerated.  Lest,  however,  Pachacamac 
should  try  to  play  any  mean  tricks  upon  them,  or  his 
obstinate  priests  should  endeavour  to  frighten  them,  he 
showed  them  the  sign  of  the  Cross,  and  told  them  that  no 

165 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

devil  or  demon  could  stand  before  the  power  of  that  sign, 
but  would  instantly  fly  in  terror. 

Hernando  and  his  soldiers  searched  high  and  low  for  the 
treasure  which  was  said  to  have  been  stored  in  the  temple  ; 
but  no  trace  of  it  could  be  found.  Finally,  they  had  to 
recognize  that  they  had  come  too  late ;  that  the  priests 
had  2ot  wind  of  their  coming,  and  had  made  haste  to  seize 
the  gold  and  had  hidden  it. 

Tlie  sanctuary  of  the  god  Pachacamac  was  ordered  by 
Hernando  to  be  purified,  and  then,  before  the  door,  he 
had  a  great  cross  erected,  made  of  stone  and  plaster. 
When  the  Spaniards  had  departed  again,  no  priests  re- 
turned to  the  temple  from  which  the  god  had  been  hurled 
and  hacked  in  pieces,  and  no  devout  pilgrims  thronged  to 
take  part  in  the  ritual  of  his  worship.  Instead,  the  simple 
Indians  came  to  look  upon  this  giant  cross,  the  sign  of  a 
power  which  was  mysterious  and  awful,  before  which  their 
own  god,  who  had  mled  their  generations  for  many  ages, 
had  gone  down  without  a  struggle. 


i66 


CHAPTER    XI 
A  Deed  of  Dishonour 

MEANWHILE,  at  Caxamalca,  into  the  camp  of 
the  Spaniards,  three  white  horsemen  had  ridden 
one  day  in  Januar}%  and,  thromng  themselves 
from  their  horses  at  the  challenge  of  the  sentry,  had  been 
received  with  shouts  of  welcome  by  their  countrymen, 
who  crowded  up. 

They  were  messengers  from  San  Miguel,  and  one,  who 
bore  letters,  was  instantly  conducted  to  Pizarro's  apart- 
ments. After  a  brief  welcome,  the  man  handed  Pizarro 
two  letters,  which,  as  he  was  unable  to  read,  the  general 
handed  to  his  secretary.  The  messenger  was  then  directed 
to  withdraw,  and  orders  were  given  for  refreshment  and 
rest  for  himself  and  his  fellows. 

Pizarro's  secretary  hurriedly  scanned  the  letters,  and  his 
swarthy  face  assumed  a  graver  aspect  than  usual. 

"  This  is  news  indeed,  Marquis,"  he  said.  "  Almagro 
has  reached  San  Miguel  wath  one  hundred  and  fifty  men. 
The  governor  of  the  town  sends  you  word  thereof." 

"  Read  me  his  words,"  said  Pizarro. 

Zerez  read  the  formal  letter,  giving  briefly  the  narrative 
of  Almagro's  voyage,  the  number  of  men  brought  with 
him,  and  telling  how  affairs  went  with  the  townspeople. 

"  What  is  the  other  letter  ?    Read  it." 

"  That,  Marquis,  is  of  still  graver  import.  It  is  from 
Perez,  Almagro's  secretary,  and  runs  thus  :    '  With  this 

167 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

messenger,  your  Grace,  you  will  receive  news  that  your 
old  comrade  in  arms  and  partaker  in  this  venture  hath 
arrived  with  three  ships,  a  great  quantity  of  stores  and 
good  appointments  for  war,  and  near  two  hundred  men. 
Your  Grace,  in  the  pleasure  of  this  hearing,  might  think 
that  these  are  for  your  common  use  and  mutual  help  ; 
but  I  would  have  your  Grace  to  know  that  Don  Diego  de 
Almagro  hath  no  thought  of  working  with  thee  again  in 
the  great  venture  to  which  thou  hast  placed  thy  hand, 
but  hath  in  his  privy  mind  a  plan  to  work  apart  from  thee 
and  to  carve  for  himself  a  province  in  which  he  shall  be 
sole  lord.  I  write  thus  for  your  particular  and  private 
knowledge,  your  Grace,  as  I  have  ever  had  reverence  for 
your  great  gifts  and  ever  prophesied  the  greatness  of  your 
nature  and  the  heights  to  which '  " 

"  Enough  !  "  cried  Pizarro.  "  I  will  listen  no  more  to 
that  serpent's  hiss.  Write  at  once  to  my  friend  Almagro, 
with  every  expression  of  my  esteem  and  friendship  ;  tell 
him  I  am  overjoyed  to  learn  that  he  has  returned,  and 
ask  him  to  come  to  me  here  with  his  men  at  once,  so 
that  together  we  may  advance  to  the  conquest  of  richer 
treasures  and  the  wimiing  of  the  many  heathen  souls  that 
inhabit  this  land  in  darkness.  Write  it  at  once,  so  that 
the  messengers  may  return  with  it." 

The  secretary  set  about  the  writing  of  the  letter,  and  by 
the  evening  it  was  done  to  Pizarro 's  satisfaction,  who  set 
his  mark  thereto,  and  gave  orders  for  the  messengers  to 
begin  their  return  at  dawn  next  day. 

"  Will  your  Grace  take  no  notice  of  the  letter  of  Perez 
the  secretary  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Pizarro,  with  a  grim  smile  ;  "  take  occasion 
to  speak  of  it  to  the  couriers  ere  they  go." 

The    secretary   bowed,   and    understood    that   it   was 

i68 


A   Deed   of  Dishonour 

Pizarro's  intention  that  the  treachery  of  Perez  should 
return  on  his  own  head,  for  once  it  became  the  gossip  of 
the  men  of  San  Miguel,  Almagro  would  not  fail  to  hear  of 
it,  and  punish  his  deceitfid  servant  accordingly. 

When  the  couriers  returned  to  San  Miguel  with  the  letter 
from  Pizarro,  Almagro  received  and  heard  its  contents 
read  to  him  with  every  sign  of  gladness.  He  received  its 
frank  welcome  in  the  spirit  with  which  Pizarro  had  ex- 
pressed it,  for  Almagro,  though  headstrong  and  quick  of 
temper,  could  not  harbour  enmity  for  long,  and  his  frank 
and  careless  nature  was  always  eager  to  meet  friendliness 
half  way.  He  gave  orders,  therefore,  for  all  to  be  prepared, 
and  notified  his  men  that  they  would  set  out  for  Caxamalca 
in  two  days'  time. 

Perez  the  secretary,  a  close  and  secretive  man,  won- 
dered at  the  tone  of  Pizarro's  letter,  thinking  that  its  frank- 
ness hid  a  secret  purpose.  He  measured  other  people's 
actions  by  his  own  crafty  nature  ;  but  he  was  rather  at  a 
loss  at  not  having  received  any  letter  from  Pizarro  in 
reply  to  his  own. 

He  wondered  what  was  best  to  be  done,  and  cast  about 
in  his  mind  how  further  to  sow  dissension  between  the  two 
leaders  whereby  he  could  gain  some  profit.  But  he  had 
not  long  to  hatch  his  crafty  plots,  for,  suddenly,  as  he 
sat  at  his  table,  the  door  was  flung  violently  open,  and 
Almagro,  his  face  flushed  with  passion,  rushed  in. 

"  What  is  this  you  do  behind  my  back,  traitor  ?  "  he 
cried,  in  a  loud  voice.  "  Would  you  stab  me  in  the  dark  ? 
Would  you  whisper  treason  about  me  to  the  marquis  ? 
Out,  man,  out,  the  rope's  strung  for  you  !  " 

"  But,  sefior,  seiior,"  cried  the  secretary,  his  face  white, 
his  lips  dry,  "  what  is  it  you  charge  me  with  ?  Surely  I 
may  answer  any " 

169 


The   Conquerors  of  Peru 

Others  had  now  come  into  the  room,  and  Almagro 
turned  to  them. 

"  Hark  to  the  traitorous  cur  !  "  he  cried,  almost  beside 
himself  with  fury.  "  If  I  give  him  time  enough,  his  twisty 
tongue  will  prove  he  never  wrote  to  Pizarro  saying  I 
planned  to  leave  him  in  the  lurch  and  to  carve  out  a  king- 
dom for  myself.  Say,  you  dog,"  he  shouted,  striding  to 
the  secretary,  and  shaking  him  by  the  breast  of  his  doublet, 
like  a  terrier  shaking  a  rat,  "  did  you  not  write  it,  eh  ?  eh  ? 
eh?" 

Men  gaped  to  see  the  little  man,  broad,  short,  one-eyed, 
shaking  the  lean,  tall  secretary  to  and  fro  till  his  teeth 
rattled.  Suddenly  Almagro  released  him,  and,  in  a  terrible 
voice,  cried  : 

"  Make  your  peace  with  Gkxi,  for  in  five  minutes  you 
shall  die.     Call  a  priest.     Let  him  be  shriven." 

Tlie  secretary  made  no  appeal  for  mercy,  but  his  dry, 
pale  lips  moved  in  rapid  whispers  in  response  to  the  priest's 
ministration.  A  few  moments  and  two  soldiers  entered, 
went  up  to  the  doomed  man  and  pinioned  him.  Then 
they  led  him  from  the  room,  the  priest  going  with  him, 
holding  a  crucifix  before  the  secretary's  eyes. 

In  a  little  while  the  body  of  Perez  hung,  turning  and 
swaying,  from  the  branch  of  a  tall  tree  whose  leaves  gave 
a  pleasant  shade  in  the  plaza  of  the  town. 

Almagro  and  his  troops  left  San  Miguel  next  day,  and 
reached  the  camp  of  Pizarro  in  safety.  They  were  met 
outside  the  town  of  Caxamalca  by  the  soldiers  of  the 
marquis,  who  welcomed  them  most  heartily.  Pizarro 
and  Almagro  embraced  each  other  with  every  friendly 
greeting  ;  and  whatever  bitter  feeling  may  have  existed 
between  them  formerly  seemed  now  to  be  utterly  forgotten. 

As  the  fresh  troops  tramped  into  the  town,  Atahualpa 

170 


The  body  of  Perez  hung  from  the  branch  of  a  tall  tree        170 


A  Deed  of  Dishonour 

stood  and  looked  at  them  from  one  of  the  narrow  windows 
of  his  apartments.  A  gloom  settled  on  his  face  as  he  looked 
at  the  files  of  marching  men,  their  headpieces  gleaming  in 
the  sun,  the  light  of  which  also  flashed  from  sword-belt, 
pike-head  and  harquebus.  With  their  dark  faces  and 
brilliant,  fierce  eyes,  and  the  swagger  of  their  bearing,  they 
were  marked  out  as  being  a  race  of  sterner,  crueller,  and 
more  forceful  mould  than  that  of  the  mild -faced  Indians 
who  looked  with  wonder  on  them  as  they  marched  by. 

To  the  imprisoned  Inca  their  light  laughter  sounded 
like  cries  of  triumph,  and  their  numbers  seemed  to  hem 
him  still  closer  about  with  prison  walls  and  guards.  He 
turned  away,  heavy  of  mood. 

Next  day,  as  he  walked  with  his  guards  in  the  garden 
attached  to  his  prison,  some  soldiers  pointed  to  the  skies, 
where,  at  a  distance  from  the  sun,  the  fiery  train  of  a 
comet  was  to  be  seen,  so  bright  and  big  that  even  the 
radiance  of  the  tropical  sun  did  not  quench  it. 

His  face  paled  as  he  looked  at  it  with  fixed  attention 
for  some  moments.     Then  sadly  he  said  : 

"  Such  a  sign  as  that  was  shown  in  the  heavens  when 
my  father,  Huayna  Capac,  was  about  to  die." 

He  would  walk  no  more  that  day,  and  from  that  time  a 
settled  sadness  rested  upon  him. 

When  the  Spaniards  realized  that  their  numbers  were 
now  large  enough  to  justify  their  advancing  farther  into 
the  country,  so  as  to  make  their  conquest  more  complete, 
the  rank  and  file  of  the  soldiers  began  to  clamour  for  the 
treasure  already  collected  to  be  divided  among  them. 

The  amount  of  gold,  which  was  kept  in  the  chamber 
which  had  been  the  scene  of  the  Inca's  promise,  was  enor- 
mous, but  it  still  did  not  reach  the  red  line  along  the  wall. 
Often   and  often  the  rougher  soldiers  would  come  and 

171 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

gloat  over  the  riches  piled  in  confusion  before  them — vases 
and  goblets,  jars  and  cups  of  marvellous  workmanship, 
richly  wrought  figures  of  flowers  and  fruit,  and  finely 
chased  ewers,  salvers,  ornaments  and  utensils,  torn  from 
the  temples  and  royal  palaces  throughout  the  land. 

"  If  we  share  this  not  out  now,"  said  one,  "  we  shall 
never  share  it  at  all.  If  we  wait  longer,  the  Indians  will 
surely  try  to  rob  us  of  it.  Besides,  no  man  knows  what 
is  his  until  it  is  shared  out." 

"  As  for  me,"  said  another,  "  when  I  get  my  share  I 
shall  go  home  and  settle  down  in  my  native  village,  a  rich 


man." 


"  Pooh,"  said  a  third,  "  not  I.  Whatever  we  get  from 
this,  why,  man,  there  is  plenty  still  in  the  land,  to  be  got 
if  we  stay.     No,  I'm  for  Cuzco  and  its  treasures." 

'"  They  say  that  though  all  this  gold  here  is  more  than 
has  ever  been  collected  together  before,"  said  one  of  Al- 
magro's  men,  "  the  treasures  at  Cuzco  and  in  the  locked -up 
palaces  of  the  Incas  all  about  the  land  are  to  this  as  the 
ocean  is  to  a  village  pond." 

"  I  believe  that,"  grumbled  one  of  Pizarro's  men,  "  and 
while  we  waste  our  time  here,  the  Indians  will  be  hiding 
it." 

"  That  is  true,"  said  another,  "  for  Felipillo  told  me 
that  at  Cuzco  some  of  the  priests  are  already  concealing 
many  of  the  treasures  of  the  temples." 

Great  was  the  joy  of  all  the  Spaniards  who  had  been  with 
Pizarro  when  the  news  got  about  that  the  gold  in  the 
chamber  was  to  be  melted  down  so  that  the  division  might 
be  more  easily  made.  Indian  workmen  were  immediately 
set  to  work  to  undo  the  beautiful  work  of  their  own  people 
by  melting  down  the  various  articles  of  delicate  or 
magnificent  workmanship. 

172 


A  Deed  of  Dishonour 

Pizarro  determined,  however,  that  a  certain  number  of 
the  most  beautiful  tilings  should  be  sent  to  the  Emperor 
Charles,  and  these  were  selected,  to  the  value  of  a  hundred 
thousand  ducats,  out  of  the  fifth  part  of  the  whole  treasure 
which  was  the  share  of  the  Spanish  crown. 

The  man  whom  Pizarro  chose  to  take  these  first-fruits 
of  conquest  to  the  emperor  was  Hernando,  his  brother, 
who,  when  Almagro  came  into  camp,  had  shown  dislike 
of  him  in  so  offensive  a  manner  as  to  bring  upon  him  his 
brother's  sharp  reproof.  The  general  thought  that  the 
best  way  of  preventing  a  quarrel  between  Hernando 
and  Almagro  was  to  send  his  brother  to  Spain,  and  this 
was  accordingly  done,  after  the  gold  treasure  had  been 
shared  out. 

The  Indian  smiths,  toiling  over  their  fires  in  the  work 
of  melting  down  the  precious  spoil,  always  had,  besides 
a  strong  guard,  a  perpetual  crowd  of  Spanish  soldiers, 
hungrily  watching  every  step  in  the  process.  The  Indians 
were  ordered  to  work  day  and  night,  but  so  enormous  was 
the  amount  of  gold  that  it  took  a  whole  month  to  finish 
the  task. 

Then  the  great  day  came,  when  the  whole  of  the  Spanish 
camp  was  in  a  fever  of  excitement.  The  gold  had  been 
made  into  bars  of  equal  thickness  so  as  to  make  division 
easier,  and  the  royal  inspectors  had  already  weighed  the 
whole  of  the  treasure,  and  found  that  its  value  amounted 
to  what,  in  English  money,  at  the  present  time,  would  be 
equal  to  £3,500,000  ! 

Truly  the  conquerors  had  succeeded  in  their  quest ; 
Gk)ld  had  been  the  aim  of  all  their  efforts,  the  lure  which 
had  made  them  struggle  through  destitution  and  miseries, 
and  even  risk  death  itself.  Here  at  last  Avas  gold  beyond 
the  dreams  of  avarice — gold  to  an  amount  such  as  probably 

173 


The   Conquerors  of  Peru 

had  never  been  collected  together  as  booty  by  so  small  a 
band  of  conquerors  since  the  world  began. 

But  this  gold  brought  a  curse  to  its  new  owners  !  The 
very  magnitude  of  the  quantity,  and  the  swiftness  with 
which  it  had  been  obtained  spoiled  the  Spanish  conquerors 
for  any  useful  work  in  the  land  which  they  were  so  soon 
to  possess.  Like  poor  men  suddenly  raised  to  wealth,  they 
lost  their  heads,  despised  the  sober  tasks  whereby  ordinary 
citizens  live  and  become  prosperous,  and  became  prodigals 
and  wasters. 

When,  however,  the  Spaniards  had  collected  in  the  great 
square  which  had  seen  the  dreadful  massacre  of  the  Peru- 
vians, and  Pizarro's  men,  with  eager  eyes  and  jesting- 
words,  were  guessing  what  treasure  each  would  be  given, 
murmurs  began  to  arise  among  the  men  who  had  come 
with  Almagro. 

At  length  one  of  them  came  to  a  group  of  Pizarro's  men 
and  said  : 

''  Comrades,  we  think  we  ought  to  share  in  this." 

Loud  cries  of  disagreement  instantly  arose  from  the 
others,  and  an  angry  altercation  instantly  began  between 
the  two  bands.  The  soldiers  of  Almagro  outnumbered 
those  of  Pizarro,  and  the  latter  felt  that  if  their  comrades 
were  to  share,  the  gains  which  each  man  had  reckoned  on 
would  be  very  greatly  reduced. 

"  You  have  done  nothing  to  earn  any  of  that  gold,"  said 
they  to  their  comrades.  "  You  didn't  seize  the  Lica,  you 
weren't  at  the  massacre,  and  the  Inca  didn't  make  his 
compact  with  you  for  his  ransom." 

"  That's  true  enough,"  the  others  replied.  "  We  don't 
say  we  ought  to  have  as  much  as  you,  but  we  ought  to 
have  something.  We  take  our  turn  in  mounting  guard 
over  him,  we  have  also  guarded  your  treasure,  and  if  we 

174 


A   Deed  of  Dishonour 

had  not  arrived  you  would  not  be  able  to  go  forward  as 
you  are  about  to  do  and  make  further  conquests  in  the 
land." 

By  this  time  Pizarro  and  Almagro  had  come  to  the  dis- 
puting men,  and  the  case  was  laid  before  them.  Finally 
it  was  settled  that  Almagro's  followers  should  have  a 
certain  small  sum  given  to  them,  but  that  for  any  great 
gains  they  must  look  to  further  conquests. 

Then,  the  troops  having  lined  up  round  the  square, 
Pizarro  prepared  to  divide  the  spoil.  This  was  a  delicate 
task,  for  he  had  to  distribute  it  according  to  what  he 
thought  were  the  deserts  of  each  soldier,  and  therefore  he 
risked  offending  many  of  them. 

First  of  all  he  commanded  that  the  fifth  belonging  to 
the  Crown  should  be  weighed  and  set  aside,  and  under  the 
brilliant  sunlight,  all  looked  on  while  the  royal  inspectors 
weighed  the  bars  of  gold  in  a  great  pair  of  scales  and  placed 
the  amount  aside. 

Then  his  secretary  read  out  from  a  paper  which  had  been 
prepared  the  names  of  all  who  were  about  to  share,  with 
the  amount  which  was  to  be  given  to  them,  after  which 
he  called  each  man  forward,  and  in  his  presence  his  share 
was  weighed  out  and  given  to  him. 

The  men  in  the  cavalry  were  called  out  first,  one  by  one, 
and  to  each  was  given  bars  of  gold  to  the  value  of  8880 
pesos  of  gold  (in  English  money  of  to-day  worth  about 
£23,000),  which  the  men  bore  off  to  their  quarters,  some 
with  jests  and  others  with  serious  looks,  as  if  already 
troubled  by  the  possession  of  so  much  wealth. 

The  infantry,  to  the  number  of  one  hundred  and  five 
men,  were  not  paid  equally.  Some  were  thought  not  to 
have  done  so  much  as  others  ;  and  as  a  whole,  the  foot 
soldiers  were  not  paid  so  much  as  the  horsemen,  because 

175 


The   Conquerors  of  Peru 

it  had  been  the  latter  who  had  been  of  most  service  in  the 
terrible  massacre  at  the  capture  of  the  Inca. 

A  fifth  of  the  infantry  were  allowed  gold  bars  to  the 
value  of  about  £12,000  each,  and  the  remainder  were  given 
about  £8000  each  ;  some,  however,  had  even  less  than  that. 

The  amount  which  Pizarro  kept  for  himself  amounted 
to  57,222  pesos  of  gold  (about  £150,000).  Besides  this  he 
had  a  large  share  of  the  silver  which  had  been  collected, 
and  the  great  chair  or  throne  belonging  to  the  Inca,  which 
was  of  solid  gold  and  beautifully  wrought.  This  alone 
was  reckoned  to  be  worth  about  £52,000. 

To  Hernando,  bars  to  the  value  of  31,080  pesos  of  gold 
(£82,000)  were  given,  while  to  Hernando  de  Soto,  gold 
to  the  value  of  17,740  pesos  was  given  (£37,000). 

The  silver  which  had  been  collected  had  not  made 
up  the  amount  which  the  Inca  had  promised,  but  it  was 
still  of  considerable  value,  and  every  soldier  received  a 
share. 

To  the  men  of  Almagro  was  given  £52,000  to  share 
between  them,  while  for  those  who  had  remained  behind 
at  San  Miguel,  including  the  nine  who  had  given  up  the 
venture  at  the  beginning  of  the  march,  only  £38,000  was 
set  aside. 

The  claims  of  the  Church,  however,  in  this  division,  were 
not  overlooked  ;  and  the  new  Church  of  San  Francisco 
at  San  Miguel,  the  first  Christian  Church  in  Peru,  was 
endowed  with  about  £6000. 

When  the  public  division  had  been  completed,  men 
went  to  their  quarters.  Some  secreted  their  wealth,  others 
let  it  lie  about,  as  careless  of  it  now  that  it  was  in  their 
possession  as  before  they  had  been  eager  to  obtain  it. 

That  night,  when,  as  was  the  invariable  custom,  the 
conquerors  played  with  dice  or  cards,  there  were  higher 

176 


A   Deed  of  Dishonour 

stakes  to  play  for  than  ever  any  of  them  had  hitherto 
possessed  since  they  had  set  foot  in  Peru.  Far  into  the 
night  did  the  fever  of  play,  mingled  with  laughter,  anger 
and  reckless  cries,  rule  in  the  camp  of  the  Spaniards,  and 
by  morning  many  a  fortune  had  been  doubled  or  trebled, 
and  many,  having  hazarded  on  the  throw  of  the  dice 
the  fortune  which  they  had  handled  but  a  few  hours, 
looked  with  haggard  eyes  at  the  fresh  light  of  the  rising 
sun  as  beggared  as  they  had  been  when  they  were  hiding 
from  their  creditors  in  the  alleys  of  Seville  or  Panama. 

Two  days  after  the  division  of  the  spoil,  Hernando 
Pizarro  started  on  his  journey  to  the  coast,  bearing  with 
him  letters  from  his  brother  making  report  of  all  he  had 
done,  and  taking  a  large  treasure  for  the  Emperor  Charles 
the  Fifth.  With  him  also  went  several  of  the  conquerors, 
who,  satisfied  with  their  gains,  were  taking  their  wealth  to 
Spain,  there  to  live  in  comfort  for  the  rest  of  their  lives. 

There  were  also  two  friends  of  Almagro  who  promised 
that  they  would  remind  the  emperor  of  his  services  in  the 
conquest  of  this  rich  country.  Almagro  had  sent  these 
men  because  he  knew  of  Hernando's  enmity  towards 
himself. 

As  the  days  passed  at  Caxamalca,  after  the  division  of 
the  spoil,  men  began  to  ask  themselves  why  they  did  not 
press  forward  to  Cuzco,  to  further  conquests  and  to  still 
richer  gains. 

"That's  easily  answered,"  was  one  soldier's  reply. 
"  What's  to  be  done  with  the  Inca  ?  If  we  leave  him  here 
under  a  guard,  will  any  guard  be  strong  enough  to  resist 
the  attempts  which  will  be  made  to  rescue  him  ?  " 

"  Well,  he  has  paid  his  ransom,"  said  a  generous  man, 
a  scholar  from  Toledo,  "  such  a  ransom  as  never  prince  or 
potentate  has  ever  paid  in  the  history  of  mankind.  Why 
M  177 


The   Conquerors  of  Peru 

not  fulfil  the  terms  of  the  compact  with  him  and  give  him 
his  freedom  ?  " 

"Hark  you,  Montillo,"  replied  a  grey  old  soldier,  wise 
with  thirty  years  of  Indian  warfare,  "  you  are  too  clean  a 
man  for  this  work.  Think  you  that  our  general  ever 
intended  to  carry  out  the  terms  of  that  compact  with  the 
Inca  ?  Our  marquis  is  a  crafty  man — ^no  one  knows  his 
mind  ;  he  knows  that  if  he  lets  the  Inca  go  free  he  will  let 
loose  our  most  powerful  enemy.  The  whole  nation  would 
rally  to  the  Inca's  help,  and  we  should  be  fortunate  if  we 
escaped  with  our  lives." 

"  Then,  at  least,  we  might  send  him  to  Spain,"  replied 
the  scholar,  "  to  be  kept  in  honourable  captivity  there." 

"  That  may  be  what  is  in  the  general's  mind,"  said 
another  ;  "  but  I  doubt  it.  There  is  no  way  to  the  coast 
except  through  those  horrible  passes  in  the  mountains. 
Think  you  that  the  Inca's  people  would  let  us  go  through 
them  in  peace  ?  " 

All  through  the  camp  men's  minds  were  busied  with 
thinking  what  was  going  to  be  done.  Meanwhile  Pizarro, 
silent  and  stern,  kept  to  himself  and  gave  no  one  his  counsel. 
Almagro  did  not  trouble  himself  greatly  with  the  question 
as  to  what  was  to  be  done  with  the  Inca  ;  but  de  Soto,  a 
man  of  generous  instincts,  who  was  on  more  intimate 
terms  with  the  Inca  than  anyone  else,  often  asked  Pizarro 
what  was  to  be  his  decision.  But  for  reply  he  was  told 
that  the  general  was  still  considering  the  matter. 

Day  after  day  Atahualpa  urged  that  he  should  be  set  at 
liberty,  but  evasive  answers  were  returned  to  all  his  re- 
quests. Pizarro  never  visited  him  no\V,  but  de  Soto  often 
came  to  speak  to  the  Inca,  and  it  was  to  him  that  the  latter 
made  his  demands. 

At  length,  to  de  Soto's  repeated  arguments,  Pizarro  so 

178 


A   Deed   of  Dishonour 

far  agreed  that  though  the  ransom  collected  by  the  Lica 
had  not  been  the  full  amount  which  he  had  promised,  it  was 
large  enough  ;  and  the  general  bade  his  notary  draw  up 
a  document,  by  which  it  was  declared  that  no  further 
ransom  was  expected  from  the  Inca.  Tlie  soldiers  were 
brought  together  by  the  call  of  a  trumpet  and  the  docu- 
ment was  publicly  read  out  to  them.  For  the  moment 
men  thought  that  it  meant  that  the  Inca  would  shortly 
be  released  ;  but  when  the  notary  had  folded  up  the 
parchment  he  cried  out  : 

"  It  is  the  decision  of  the  general,  Marquis  Pizarro,  that 
the  safety  of  his  I\Iajesty's  forces  in  this  land  demands  that, 
until  further  reinforcements  arrive,  the  Inca  be  continued 
in  captivity." 

The  soldiers  grumbled  at  this.  To  their  restless  spirits 
inaction  was  not  to  be  borne  patiently,  and  to  the  more 
mean  and  avaricious  it  was  a  cause  of  complaint  that 
while  they  sat  rusting  there,  the  enormous  wealth  of  the 
temples  and  palaces  about  the  land  was  doubtless  being 
hidden  by  the  Indians. 

Frequently  Felipillo,  the  chief  interpreter,  was 
questioned  by  the  more  discontented,  and  at  length  was 
asked  what  the  native  Peruvians  thought  of  the  Spaniards 
staying  fixed  in  one  place  and  doing  naught. 

"  What  think  they  ?  "  he  said,  and  a  smile  lit  up  his 
mean  and  crafty  face.     "  They  think  that  it  is  well." 

"  What  mean  you  by  that  ?  "  demanded  his  questioner, 
a  man  named  Spagno,  a  cruel  and  coarse  man  who  had 
lost  his  fortune  of  £23,000  in  play  the  first  night  he  received 
it.  "  Tell  me,  you  limb  of  Satan, "  he  commanded  fiercely, 
"  why  should  you  slaves  think  it  well  that  we  do  naught  ?  " 

"  It  is  not  I  who  think  so,"  replied  Felipillo  ;  "  but  there 
are  rumours,  seiior,  which  of  course  are  only  rumours.' 

179 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

"  What  rumours  are  they  ?  "  asked  others  who  had  now 
strolled  across  the  courtyard  when  they  heard  Spagno's 
hectoring  voice  questioning  the  Indian. 

"  Well,  sefiores,"  replied  the  interpreter,  "  it  is  rumoured 
that  an  army  is  gathering  in  the  land  of  Atahualpa's  birth 
— Quito,  the  land  to  the  north — an  army  which  numbers, 
it  is  said,  two  hundred  thousand  men,  and,  besides  that, 
there  are  thirty  thousand  Caribs — the  savages,  your 
honours  will  remember,  who  eat  human  flesh — ^who  are 
marching  to  join  them,  and  who  promise  themselves — • 
so  it  is  rumoured — a  feast  from  the  bones  of  the  white 


men." 


The  soldiers  shuddered.  They  had  ever  looked  on  the 
cannibal  Caribs  with  peculiar  fear  and  horror,  and  this 
news  disturbed  them  greatly. 

"  And  is  it  the  Inca  who  is  secretly  causing  this  army 
to  assemble  ?  "  asked  a  soldier.  "  I  always  said  he  should 
not  be  permitted  to  see  whom  he  pleased — those  gold- 
eared  ones  [the  noblemen]  come  and  go  as  they  please, 
and  I  ever  said  that  none  knew  what  they  were  plotting. 
And  here  is  proof  of  it." 

Felipillo  would  not  say  it  was  the  Inca  himself  who  was 
plotting  this  rising  ;  but  the  rumours  were  as  he  had 
stated. 

Quickly  this  report  spread  among  the  soldiers,  and 
caused  a  great  fever  of  excitement  throughout  the  camp. 
Many  other  Indians,  in  broken  Spanish,  supported  the 
rumours  which  Felipillo  had  described,  and  in  the  minds 
of  the  soldiers  it  was  soon  established  as  a  certainty  that 
a  great  army  was  marching  south  to  massacre  them,  and 
that  Atahualpa  was  the  prime  mover  of  the  whole  plot. 


i8o 


CHAPTER    XII 

The  Death  of  the  Inca 

IF  the  Spaniards  had  not  been  in  a  state  of  great  fear 
they  might  have  looked  a  Httle  more  coolly  and  critic- 
ally into  the  rumours  and  their  sources.  Felipillo 
himself  was  a  mean  and  cowardly  fellow,  who  never  missed 
an  opportunity  of  currying  favour  with  his  white  masters. 
Since  the  capture  of  Atahualpa  he  had  treated  his  own  king 
with  petty  insults  and  annoyances,  and  had  never  failed, 
when  it  was  possible,  to  twist  the  speeches  of  the  Inca 
which  he  had  to  interpret  to  the  Spaniards  in  a  way  which 
would  cast  suspicion  or  doubt  upon  the  captive  prince 

Added  to  this,  there  were  Indians  in  the  camp  who  were 
of  the  party  of  the  murdered  Huascar,  and  bitter  enemies 
of  the  Inca.  These  also  never  failed  to  speak  or  suggest 
evil  of  him. 

When  the  rumours  were  brought  to  the  notice  of  Pizarro 
he  went  at  once,  accompanied  by  his  secretary  and  by 
Almagro,  and  was  ushered  into  the  presence  of  Atahualpa, 

"  What  is  this  I  hear  ?  "  demanded  Pizarro  of  the  Inca, 
in  cold,  hard  tones.  "  Wliat  treason  is  this  that  you 
meditate  against  me  ?  " 

"  You  jest  with  me  !  "  replied  Atahualpa,  a  bitter 
smile  on  his  face  ;  "  you  are  always  jesting  with  me. 
How  could  I  or  my  people  hope  to  conspire  against  the 
Spaniards,  who  are  so  valiant,  so  strong,  so  victorious  ? 
Do  not  jest  with  me,  I  pray  you." 

i8i 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

Pizarro,  Almagro  and  the  secretaiy  looked  darkly  at  the 
smiling  face  of  the  Inca.  The  latter  spoke  in  a  most 
composed  and  natural  manner,  and  the  Spaniards,  believ- 
ing he  was  guilty  of  that  which  they  charged  against  him, 
wondered  that  he  could  disguise  his  feelings  so  cunningly. 

"It  is  you  who  jest,"  replied  Pizarro.  "  You  know  the 
smallness  of  our  numbers,  while  you  have  a  hundred 
thousand  warriors  whom  a  word  from  you  would  bring 
upon  us." 

"  But  I  have  not  given  that  word,"  replied  the  Inca. 
"  Why  should  I  ?  What  would  it  profit  me,  while  I  am 
captive  and  in  your  power  ?  Were  my  people  to  rise  I 
should  be  the  first  victim  of  your  anger.  Believe  me, 
senor,  I  have  given  no  word  for  any  treason  against  you, 
and  until  I  do,  no  man  of  all  m.y  legions  would  raise  his 
weapon.  You  know  that  the  very  birds  in  my  kingdom 
hardly  fly  except  according  to  my  commands." 

The  Spaniards  left  him  without  further  words.  They 
were  still  not  convinced  of  his  innocence,  and  when 
Almagro,  blustering  and  angry,  repeated  about  the  camp 
the  words  of  Atahualpa,  the  men  twisted  them  this  way 
and  that,  until  they  seemed  full  of  the  most  sinister 
suggestions. 

Fear  grew  in  the  heart  of  every  soldier  day  by  day,  until 
at  length  the  word  went  through  the  camp,  "  The  Lica's 
troops  are  gathering  at  Guamachucho,  a  hundred  miles 
away,  and  any  night  may  find  us  rushed  by  overwhelming 
forces  and  utterly  wiped  out." 

No  one  could  say  whence  this  news  had  sprung.  One 
said  an  Indian  had  told  it  to  him,  another  said  an  Inca 
woman  had  prophesied  that  the  braves  of  Guamachucho 
would  soon  pick  their  bones  clean,  while  Felipillo  said  it 
was  the  common  rumour  of  all  the  Indians  in  the  place. 

182 


The  Death  of  the  Inca 

Panic  seized  the  camp,  sentries  were  doubled,  the  horses 
were  kept  saddled  and  bridled,  men  slept  in  their  boots, 
with  swords  beside  them,  and  by  night,  at  the  least  sound, 
men  turned  out,  buzzing  like  angry  bees. 

Restless  by  night,  by  day  the  men  were  full  of  menaces 
and  murmurs. 

"  This  cannot  go  on,"  said  one  to  Almagro  ;  "  while  the 
Inca  is  here  in  our  hands  we  shall  be  the  mark  for  his 
army." 

"  'Tis  I  that  have  said  that  ever  since  I  came,"  cried 
Almagro  angrily.  "  But  Pizarro  will  not  listen,  or  feigns 
not  to  do  so,  and  de  Soto,  forsooth,  says  there  is  naught 
to  fear  from  the  Inca." 

"  It  is  he  that  is  the  cause  of  it  all,"  cried  another. 
"  With  him  away  we  should  be  free  of  this  fear  and  ready 
to  go  forward  to  conquer  the  whole  land  and  to  gain 
treasure.  As  it  is,  we  who  came  with  Don  Diego  are  as 
poor  as  if  we  had  never  left  Panama,  and  it  looks  as  if  we 
are  to  stop  here  till  the  Inca  dies  or  we  are  all  massacred 
by  night." 

The  advice  of  the  more  reckless  was  supported  by  those 
higher  in  authority,  such  as  the  Royal  Treasurer,  and  other 
State  officials.  These  had  been  left  by  Pizarro  at  San 
Miguel,  but  they  had  come  to  Caxamalca  with  Almagro. 
These,  with  Almagro,  took  an  opportunity  of  seeking 
Pizarro,  and  urged  upon  him  that,  to  put  an  end  to  the 
plots  which  were  evidently  being  formed  for  setting  the 
Inca  at  liberty  and  massacring  themselves,  the  Inca  should 
be  executed. 

"  By  my  faith,  Pizarro,"  said  one  reckless  man,  a  noble 
of  the  highest  rank  but  of  the  most  insolent  bearing, 
"  one  would  think  you  loved  the  Inca  as  your  own 
brother.     What  is  it,  man,  that  keeps  you  from  letting 

183 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

his  life  out  ?  Aii  Indian  more  or  less,  what  does  it 
matter  ?  " 

"  Let  us  get  on  to  Cuzco,"  said  another,  equally  insolent. 
"  Is  it  because  you  don't  wish  us  who  have  come  later  to 
share  in  the  treasures  of  the  Incas  ?  I'd  have  you  know, 
general,  that  I  want  my  share,  and  as  big  a  share  as  you've 
got.     But  we  shall  get  nothing  by  staying  here." 

To  these  and  similar  reckless  speeches  Pizarro  turned, 
or  seemed  to  turn,  an  unwilling  ear. 

"  It  does  not  appear  to  me  to  be  wise,"  he  said,  "  to 
proceed  to  extreme  measures  with  the  Inca." 

"  I  agree  with  the  marquis,"  said  de  Soto,  and  returned 
the  haughty  and  scornful  looks  of  Almagro's  reckless  young 
nobles  with  an  eye  as  scornful  and  a  look  as  proud.  "  I 
think  the  Inca  is  innocent  of  any  plot  against  us." 

"  Nevertheless,"  went  on  Pizarro,  "  I  think  it  well  to 
send  a  small  detachment  to  Guamachucho  to  see  what 
grounds  there  may  be  there  for  the  constant  rumours  of 
a  rising  in  that  town.  De  Soto,  you  shall  go  thither,  with 
thirty  cavaliers." 

De  Soto  set  out  that  day,  and  as  the  distance  of  the  town 
was  little  more  than  a  hundred  miles,  he  was  not  expected 
to  be  absent  more  than  a  few  days. 

Immediately  on  his  departure  the  officers  who  desired 
the  Inca's  death  above  all  things  set  about  inflaming  the 
minds  of  the  others.  They  knew  that  de  Soto  was  the 
chief  obstacle  to  the  use  of  extreme  measures,  and  there- 
fore made  every  effort  in  his  absence  to  bring  about  the 
result  they  desired,  for  they  did  not  believe  that  Pizarro 
was  sincere  in  his  reluctance  to  execute  the  Inca. 

So  great  did  the  agitation  become  among  the  soldiers, 
inflamed  and  encouraged  by  more  rumours  which  were  put 
about,  that  a  great  body  of  them  went  to  the  general's 

184 


The   Death  of  the   Inca 

quarters  and  requested  that  he  should  bring  the  Inca  to 
trial  without  delay. 

"  We  fear  for  our  lives  day  and  night,"  said  they  ; 
"  and  for  the  safety  of  us  all  we  think  that  the  many 
rumours  of  plots  demand  that  the  truth  concerning  him 
be  sought  out,  and  at  once." 

At  length  the  general  consented  that  the  Inca  should 
be  placed  upon  his  trial.  Immediately  a  council  was 
formed,  consisting  of  Pizarro,  Almagro,  Riquelme  the 
Royal  Treasurer,  Valverde  the  priest,  the  notary,  and  one 
or  two  others  who  had  been  loudest  in  demanding  the 
Inca's  death.  The  result  of  their  meeting  was  that  they 
drew  up  twelve  charges  which  were  to  be  made  against 
the  Inca. 

A  court  of  justice  was  immediately  set  up,  the  judges 
of  which  were  Pizarro  and  Almagro.  All  things  were  done 
in  proper  form,  an  attorney-general  being  named  to  pro- 
secute for  the  Crown,  and  a  counsel  being  appointed  to 
plead  on  behalf  of  the  Inca. 

When  the  court  was  set,  such  of  the  soldiers  as  were  not 
on  sentry  crowded  round,  and  behind  them  was  a  wide 
fringe  of  Indians.  Then  the  Inca  was  brought  in  between 
guards  and  accompanied  by  his  favourite  wife  and  by  a 
single  member  of  his  suite,  an  Inca  noble  of  high  rank. 
The  face  of  the  Inca  was  calm  as  he  looked  on  his  judges 
and  the  force  of  men  about  him. 

Then  the  charges  were  read  out  and  were  interpreted  by 
Felipillo,  who  stood  midway  between  the  Inca  and  the 
attorney-general.  The  most  important  of  the  crimes  laid 
against  the  Inca  were,  that  he  had  usurped  the  crowni  and 
assassinated  his  brother  Huascar,  that  he  was  guilty  of 
idolatry,  and  finally  that  he  had  plotted  to  make  an 
insurrection  against  the  Spaniards. 

185 


The  Conquerors   of  Peru 

At  most  of  the  charges  the  Inca  smiled  in  a  grave  way, 
but  said  nothing.  Wlien  the  hst  had  been  read,  a  number 
of  Indian  witnesses  were  examined,  and  their  testimony- 
was  interpreted  to  the  Spaniards  by  FeHpillo.  Those 
who  knew  a  little  Peruvian  have  left  it  on  record  that  the 
interpreter  tried  to  make  the  most  innocent  piece  of 
evidence  appear  incriminating  in  order  to  excite  the  feelings 
of  the  Spaniards  still  more  against  the  Inca. 

When  the  examination  of  the  witnesses  was  finished — 
and  not  much  time  was  spent  upon  it — the  Inca  was  taken 
back  to  his  prison,  and  the  council  of  judges  and  the 
officers  of  the  army  retired  to  consider  their  verdict. 
We  are  told  that  the  point  discussed  by  the  majority  was 
not — "  Is  the  Inca  guilty  or  not  guilty  of  the  charges  made 
against  him  ?  "  but  "  Will  his  death  be  to  our  advantage 
or  not  ?  " 

The  matter  was  warmly  discussed.  The  great  majority — 
and  they  were  ten  to  one — ^liad  made  up  their  minds  that 
it  was  better  for  them  that  the  Peruvian  king  should  be 
out  of  the  way  ;  but  there  were  a  few  of  more  generous 
instincts  who  strongly  urged  that  the  evidence  was  not 
sufficient  to  condemn  the  Inca. 

The  discussion  became  warm — it  was  a  contest  of 
generous  impulses  against  mean,  covetous  or  bloodthirsty 
instincts. 

"  Sefiores,"  cried  one,  "  I  do  beseech  you  not  to  hurry 
this  matter — ^not  to  push  this  business  to  an  end  which 
will  cover  us  all  with  shame." 

"  We  are  accountable  to  no  one,"  said  one  of  the  young 
nobles  of  Almagro's  party.  "  The  general  is  leader  and 
he  has  decided  with  us  to  get  rid  of  this  encumbrance  and 
to  push  forward  in  the  conquest  of  this  land." 

"  But  it  will  be  a  shameful  deed,"  urged  the  other,  with 

i86 


The  Death  of  the  Inca 

passionate  voice  and  gesture.  "  Men  will  say  we  mur- 
dered him  if  ye  condemn  him  on  the  unreliable  evidence 
which  those  Indians  gave  and  that  false  scoundrel 
Felipillo  interpreted.  He  gave  a  dark  colour  to  every 
innocent  word,  and  is  fit  only  to  be  beaten  out  of  our 
camp." 

*'  Moreover,"  cried  a  friend  of  the  last  speaker,  "  I 
deny  that  the  general  or  any  of  you  here  have  the  right 
to  sit  in  judgment  on  the  Inca.  We  have  invaded  his 
land,  and  have  no  right  to  expect  him  to  be  aught  but 
hostile  to  us.  He  is  a  sovereign  prince  in  his  own  domin- 
ions, and  we  as  interlopers  and  invaders  cannot  judge 
him.  That  should  be  left  to  our  gracious  master,  the 
emperor.  He  alone  can  judge  him,  and  therefore  the  Inca 
should  be  sent  to  Spain." 

"  Out  upon  such  talk  !  "  cried  those  that  wished  for  the 
Inca's  death.  "  You  talk  as  if  the  Inca  was  a  Spaniard 
instead  of  a  mere  barbarian." 

"  Nay,"  said  the  others,  "  it  is  you  who  are  barbarians 
— dead  to  every  spark  of  justice,  lacking  in  the  generous 
instincts  of  gentlemen  and  cavaliers  of  Spain  !  " 

At  this  the  interchange  of  words  became  so  heated  that 
faces  went  red  or  pale,  hands  leaped  to  sword-hilts  and 
menacing  looks  were  exchanged.  For  a  time  it  looked  as 
if  men's  swords  would  be  at  each  other's  throats  ;  but 
at  length  the  minority,  finding  that  they  were  howled 
down,  withdrew  from  the  chamber  in  a  body,  refusing  to 
be  parties  any  longer  to  this  murderous  plot. 

Thereupon  Pizarro  and  Almagro  proceeded  to  pass  judg- 
ment upon  the  Inca.  Speaking  in  stem  tones,  Pizarro 
said  : 

"  We  have  heard  the  evidence  brought  against  the  Inca, 
and  we  deem  that  it  has  been  established  that  the  Inca  is 

187 


The   Conquerors   of  Peru 

guilty  of  the  crimes  charged  against  him.  Tlierefore  we 
condemn  him  to  be  put  to  death  by  burning,  and  that  the 
execution  be  carried  out  this  night,  so  that  there  may  be 
no  time  for  his  subjects  to  rise  against  us  in  order  to 
rescue  him."  They  were  not  even  to  wait  for  the  return 
of  de  Soto,  whose  report  would,  of  course,  go  far  to  estab- 
lish the  truth  or  falsehood  of  the  principal  charge — ^that 
of  conspiracy. 

The  judgment  was  received  with  expressions  of  agree- 
ment from  those  now  present,  and  Riquelme,  the  chief 
royal  officer,  spoke  as  follows  : — 

"  I  think,"  he  said,  "  that  all  who  are  here  now  are  con- 
fident of  the  guilt  of  our  prisoner,  as  indeed  no  true  cavalier 
of  Spain  could  doubt  who  has  heard  the  evidence.  Further, 
we  are  all  ready  to  assume  the  responsibility  of  the  exe- 
cution. I  propose  that  a  full  account  of  the  proceedings 
shall  be  sent  to  the  Court  of  our  gracious  emperor,  so 
that  he  may  be  informed  who  are  those  who  are  loyal 
servants  of  the  CroAvn  and  of  the  Church,  and  who  are 
those  whose  quibbling,  petty  souls  would  place  the  in- 
terests of  our  royal  master  and  of  this,  his  new  colony,  in 
danger  and  risk  of  war." 

Immediately  the  council  had  broken  up,  Pizarro,  with 
his  secretary  Felipillo,  and  a  kinsman  named  Pedro 
Pizarro,  went  to  the  quarters  of  the  Inca  to  announce  to 
him  the  judgment  of  the  court. 

"  Inca,"  said  Pizarro's  secretary,  "  the  court  has  con- 
sidered the  charges  which  have  been  brought  against  you, 
and  it  has  sentenced  you  to  death  by  burning.  You  will 
be  executed  this  night." 

For  a  moment  the  Inca  seemed  stunned,  and  looked 
from  one  to  the  other  with  wonder  and  pain  in  his  eyes. 
Then,  turning  to  Pizarro,  he  said  : 

i88 


The  Death   of  the  Inca 

"  Wliat  have  I  done,  or  my  people,  that  I  should  meet 
such  a  fate  ?  And  from  your  hands,  too — you  who  have 
ever  met  with  friendship  and  kind  greeting  from  my  people 
wherever  you  have  gone  !  You  have  shared  my  treasures, 
you  have  received  nothing  but  benefits  from  my  hands — 
and  you  repay  me  with  death." 

The  tears  burst  from  his  eyes,  and  stretching  out  his 
hands  in  pleading  to  the  Spanish  leader  he  said,  in  piteous 
tones  : 

"  Do  not  slay  me  !  Spare  my  life  !  I  will  be  faithful 
to  you.  You  have  conquered  me  and  my  people — ^what 
more  do  you  want  ?  Is  it  more  gold  you  want  ?  Give 
me  time,  and  I  will  give  you  double  the  treasure  which  I 
have  already  given  in  vain  for  my  ransom.  Let  me  live, 
seiior  !  Give  me  my  life  and  I  will  give  you  my  fealty  for 
the  remainder  of  my  days." 

Pedro  Pizarro  looked  at  his  kinsman  and  saw  the  stern 
mouth  twitch  and  the  eyes  suffuse  with  tears  as  he  turned 
his  face  away.  Even  the  iron  heart  of  Pizarro  could  not 
bear  the  pleadings  of  the  Inca. 

"  It  is  in  vain  that  you  plead,"  said  Pizarro,  in  low 
tones.  "  The  army  has  decided  that  you  must  die,  and 
I  have  no  power  to  alter  that  judgment." 

The  Inca  drew  himself  up  at  those  words  ;  a  change 
came  over  his  looks  and  bearing.  He  resumed  his  proud 
air,  the  tears  dried  from  his  eyes,  his  face  resumed  its 
calm  look,  and  he  walked  away  to  the  other  end  of  the 
apartment,  where  his  women  sat  with  wide,  soft  eyes, 
wondering  what  had  moved  their  lord  so  deeply. 

An  hour  later,  at  the  sound  of  the  trumpet,  the  army 
gathered  in  the  great  square  of  Caxamalca,  and  then  in 
formal  tones  the  doom  of  the  Inca  was  proclaimed  to  them. 
Those  cavaliers  who  objected  to  the  execution  of  the  Inca 

1S9 


The   Conquerors  of  Peru 

met  together  in  a  place  apart,  and  drew  up  a  written  pro- 
test against  the  whole  of  the  proceedings  which  had  been 
put  in  force  against  the  Inca. 

When  all  had  signed  it,  Montillo  the  scholar  spoke  in 
bitter  tones,  and  said  :  "  Senores,  we  never  have  been 
aught  but  freebooters  since  we  set  foot  upon  this  venture, 
Spanish  gentlemen  though  we  be  ;  but  now  we  have  bur- 
dened ourselves  with  a  greater  crime,  that  of  cold  -blooded 
murder  ;  and  the  names  of  the  conquistadores  [conquerors] 
of  Peru  will  be  handed  down  through  history  stained  with 
this  crime." 

Two  hours  after  sunset  the  Spanish  soldiery  assembled 
in  the  great  square  at  the  sound  of  a  timmpet.  The  night 
was  dark,  and  soldiers  held  torches  to  give  light  to  the 
scene,  and  their  uncertain  flicker  shone  on  grim,  hard 
faces,  and  flashed  from  headpiece  and  breastplate  as 
the  night  wind  moved  the  flames.  On  the  verge  of 
the  great  square  stood  crowds  of  Indians,  silent  for  the 
most  part,  but  with  what  bitterness  and  rage  and 
horror  in  their  hearts  one  can  only  guess.  For  their 
king,  the  representative  of  their  gods,  was  to  die  by 
a  shameful  death  at  the  hands  of  these  strange  demi- 
gods  or  demons. 

There  was  a  cleared  space  in  the  plaza,  where  a  thick 
stake  had  been  sunk  in  the  soil.  Round  about  it  were 
scattered  faggots  of  wood. 

The  word  was  given,  and  Atahualpa  was  led  from  a  cell 
beside  the  plaza,  chained  hand  and  foot.  Beside  him 
walked  the  priest  Valverde,  who  had  willingly  signed  the 
death  warrant  of  the  Inca,  but  who  now  strove  to  persuade 
him  to  abjure  the  faith  of  his  fathers  and  to  embrace  the 
creed  of  the  white  men.  But  the  Inca  remained  unmoved 
by  all  the  torrent  of  the  priest's  fanatical  exliortations, 

190 


The  Death  of  the  Inca 

which  the  interpreter  who  walked  beside  them  was 
hardly  permitted  time  to  translate. 

Soldiers  bound  Atahualpa  to  the  stake,  and  the  un- 
certain light  of  the  torches,  shining  upon  his  face,  showed 
him  pale,  with  compressed  lips,  and  calm,  stem  eyes 
looking  straight  before  him. 

The  Dominican  friar  made  a  last  appeal.  Holding  up  a 
silver  cross  before  the  condemned  king's  eyes,  he  cried  : 

"  Embrace  the  cross,  abjure  the  idolatry  of  your  evil 
and  false  gods,  and  you  shall  escape  the  agony  of  death 
by  fire.     A  more  merciful  death  shall  be  yours  !  " 

This  was  interpreted  to  Atahualpa  by  Felipillo,  and  the 
Inca  then  bent  his  eyes  upon  Pizarro,  who  stood  beside  the 
priest. 

"  Does  the  priest  speak  truly  ?  "  he  asked.  "  Will  you 
grant  me  that  ?  " 

"  It  shall  surely  be  done,"  repHed  the  Spanish  leader. 
"  Your  death  will  be  painless." 

"  Then,  I  agree,"  replied  the  doomed  man. 

Speedily,  while  he  stood  pinioned  to  the  stake,  the  rite  of 
baptism  was  performed  upon  the  unhappy  monarch,  who, 
repeating  the  words  of  the  priest  Valverde,  abjured  the 
faith  of  his  fathers  and  accepted  that  of  his  executioners. 
He  received  the  baptismal  name  of  Juan  de  Atahualpa, 
the  name  of  Juan  being  given  him  in  honour  of  John  the 
Baptist,  on  whose  day  the  tragic  baptism  took  place. 

When  this  had  been  done,  he  spoke  to  the  priest,  saying  : 

"  When  I  am  dead,  I  would  desire  my  body  to  be  carried 
to  Quito,  the  place  where  I  was  bom,  to  be  laid  among  the 
dead  of  my  mother's  people." 

Then,  turning  to  Pizarro,  he  said,  in  a  voice  which 
trembled  with  emotion  : 

"  Senor,  senor,  have  pity  on  my  little  children.     Tliey 

191 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

are  still  young — I  pray  you  take  them  under  your  pro- 
tection so  that  no  evil  befall  them." 

For  a  moment  only,  his  lips  twitched  and  his  eyes 
softened  with  tears  ;  then,  recovering  his  calm  bearing, 
he  held  his  head  up  proudly  and  submitted  to  the  cord 
which  was  thrown  about  his  neck  from  behind.  A  few 
moments,  while  the  soldiers  who  looked  on  muttered 
rapidly  their  pra3'ers  for  the  salvation  of  the  passing  soul, 
then  the  head  of  the  Inca  bent  forward — ^he  was  dead  ! 

The  body  was  allowed  to  remain  tied  to  the  stake  all 
night ;  but  early  next  day  it  was  carried  into  the  Church  of 
San  Francisco,  where  his  obsequies  were  performed  with 
great  solemnity.  Afterwards,  notwithstanding  his  request 
that  his  remains  should  be  taken  to  Quito,  his  body  was 
interred  in  the  cemetery  attached  to  the  church.  When, 
however,  the  Spaniards  had  left  Caxamalca,  some  of  his 
faithful  nobles  caused  his  body  to  be  raised,  and  it  was 
taken  secretly  to  Quito. 

Two  days  after  this,  while  Pizarro  and  his  officers  were 
parading  their  mourning  for  the  man  they  had  murdered, 
Hernando  de  Soto  and  his  men  rode  into  the  square. 

One  of  those  who  had  protested  against  the  murder  of 
the  Inca  met  de  Soto  as  he  rode  forward. 

"  Well,  de  Soto,"  he  asked  bitterly,  "  found  you  the 
armies  of  the  Inca  ?  Are  they  on  their  way  to  overwhelm 
us?" 

"  I  found  not  one  man  with  arms  in  his  hands,"  said  de 
Soto  ;  "  but  instead  was  met  with  kindly  welcome  every- 
where." 

"  'Tis  as  I  said,"  rejoined  the  other  ;  "  one  would  almost 
think  they  knew  it  would  be  so.  De  Soto,  they  have  mur- 
dered the  Inca,  and  I  think  they  sent  you  out  of  the  way, 
because  they  knew  you  would  oppose  it." 

192 


The  body  was  allowed  to  remain   tied  to   the  stake 


192 


The   Death  of  the  Inca 

De  Soto's  handsome  face  flushed  and  then  darkened  with 
wrath.     He  swung  himself  off  his  horse. 

"  What  !  "  he  said  ;  "  they  have  executed  him  ?  " 

"He  was  strangled  the  night  before  last,  and  is 
buried,  while  those  that  murdered  him  pretend  to  mourn 
him." 

De  Soto  turned  without  a  word  and  strode  to  Pizarro's 
quarters.  The  general  was  just  issuing  from  his  chamber, 
in  a  black  doublet,  with  a  great  black  felt  hat,  as  additional 
mourning,  slouched  over  his  eyes. 

"  Pizarro,"  said  de  Soto,  and  there  was  anger  and  scorn 
in  his  voice,  "  you  have  acted  with  strange  haste.  The 
Inca  has  been  basely  slandered — ^there  was  no  enemy  at 
Guamachucho — no  rising  among  the  natives.  I  have  met 
with  nothing  but  courtesy  and  kindness,  and  all  is  quiet. 
This  is  ill  done,  I  say.  If  it  was  necessary  to  bring  the 
Inca  to  trial,  he  should  have  been  taken  to  Castile  and 
judged  by  the  emperor.  I  would  have  pledged  myself  to 
see  him  safely  on  board." 

For  once  Pizarro's  keen  eyes  faltered  ;  he  could  not  look 
into  the  scornful  face  of  de  Soto. 

"  Perhaps,"  he  murmured,  "  I  have  been  hasty;  but  I 
have  been  deceived.  Riquelme,  Valverde  and  the  others — 
they  have  pressed  it  upon  me  and  deceived  me." 

De  Soto  turned  away  without  a  word. 

Very  soon  it  got  to  the  ears  of  Riquelme  and  Valverde 
that  Pizarro  had  blamed  them  for  the  execution  of  the 
Inca,  and  instantly,  in  fierce  wrath,  they  buzzed  about 
Pizarro  like  hornets,  vowing  that  he  alone  was  responsible 
for  the  deed,  and  as  guilty  as  any  of  them.  The  quarrel 
ran  high,  charges  and  countercharges,  abuse  and  bad 
names  were  exchanged  with  much  heat,  until,  neither  side 
feeling  they  had  got  the  better  of  the  other,  they  mutually 
N  193 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

withdrew,  every  man  smarting  under  a  sense  of  unworthi- 
ness. 

Now  that  the  Inca  was  dead,  the  minds  of  the  Spaniards 
dwelt  eagerly  on  the  tales  of  the  treasures  of  the  city  of 
Cuzco,  and  all  were  eager  to  begin  the  journey  to  the  City 
of  Gold.  Preparations  were  accordingly  made,  and,  more 
reinforcements  having  arrived  from  San  Miguel,  it  was 
found  that  the  forces  of  the  Spaniards  amounted  to  almost 
five  hundred  men,  of  whom  a  third  were  cavalry. 

Meanwhile  certain  tidings  came  to  the  camp  of  strange 
events  in  various  parts  of  the  country — of  Indians  rising 
against  their  Inca  lords,  of  their  burning  villages  and 
palaces  and  temples,  which  first  they  plundered,  and  the 
gold  and  treasure  from  which  they  scattered  or  concealed. 
It  was  said  that  whole  provinces  had  revolted,  captains 
and  chieftains  were  setting  up  kingdoms  for  themselves, 
and  that  a  commander,  named  Ruminavi,  a  general  of  the 
dead  Inca,  had  proclaimed  that  Quito  would  henceforth 
be  a  kingdom  apart  from  Peru,  with  himself  as  king. 

The  Spaniards  thought  little  of  these  rumours.  To  them 
they  seemed  of  no  more  importance  than  tales  about 
"  battles  of  kites  and  crows."  They  had  always  found 
the  Indians  to  be  quiet,  obedient  and  inoffensive,  and 
therefore  did  not  credit  the  tales  brought  in  by  wandering 
traders. 

But,  indeed,  a  great  change  had  come  upon  the  whole 
land .  The  news  of  the  death  of  the  Lica — ^the  last  monarch 
of  a  mighty  line  of  kings  that  were  almost  gods — struck 
horror  at  first  into  the  minds  of  the  natives.  It  seemed 
unbelievable  that  the  Child  of  the  Sun  had  passed  away 
for  ever,  and  that  the  king,  whose  merest  word  was  law, 
whose  person  was  divine,  whose  presence  thrilled  each 
beholder  with  uwe,  had  been  done  to  death  shamefully  by 

194 


The   Death   of  the   Inca 

the  hands  of  the  strange  bearded  men,  half  demons,  gods 
or  monsters. 

When,  however,  the  more  unruly  of  the  natives  had 
grown  accustomed  to  the  thought  that  the  dreaded  power 
of  the  Inca  was  at  an  end,  they  broke  out  into  disorder, 
they  seized  weapons,  left  the  task  that  hitherto  they  had 
been  compelled  by  the  law  to  perform,  and,  mad  with 
the  unusual  liberty,  had  gathered  themselves  into  bands 
of  marauders  and  given  themselves  up  to  pillage  and 
bloodshed. 


195 


CHAPTER    XIII 

In  the  City  of  Gold 

THE  road  taken  by  the  Spaniards  lay  along  the 
great  highway  between  Caxamalca  and  Cuzco. 
This  being  levelled  and  paved  made  the  march 
a  comparatively  easy  matter,  except  when  it  mounted 
the  crests  of  the  Cordilleras,  where,  owing  to  the  steep- 
ness of  the  way  and  the  icy  air,  both  men  and  horses 
suffered  severely. 

At  one  place  a  horde  of  Indians,  whose  neighbourhood 
they  had  already  guessed,  by  the  burning  villages  and 
broken  bridges  they  passed,  formed  themselves  on  the 
opposite  bank  of  a  river  as  if  to  contest  the  passage  of  the 
Spaniards  ;  but  the  conquerors,  without  hesitation,  dashed 
boldly  into  the  river,  swimming  their  horses  or  wading, 
and  the  Indians  did  not  wait  to  receive  them,  but  took 
to  flight.  The  cavaliers  followed  them,  however,  and 
punished  them  severely  for  daring  even  to  meditate 
resistance. 

Having  arrived  at  Xauxa,  a  city  built  in  a  beautiful, 
fertile  valley,  Pizarro  decided  to  rest  there  and  to  found 
a  colony.  Meanwhile,  however,  he  sent  de  Soto  forward 
with  sixty  horsemen  to  reconnoitre  the  country  in  advance, 
and,  by  the  aid  of  Indian  allies  who  were  with  them,  to 
repair  the  bridges  where  they  had  been  broken  down  by 
the  natives  who  had  revolted. 

As  he  advanced,  de  Soto  found  the  traces  of  the  enemy 

196 


In  the  City  of  Gold 

more  and  more  marked.  Villages  were  burnt,  bridges 
destroyed,  and  heavy  rocks  and  uprooted  trees  were  lying 
across  the  path  to  impede  his  advance.  Late  in  the  after- 
noon of  the  same  day  he  reached  a  spur  of  the  Cordilleras 
which  lay  between  him  and  the  valley  in  which  Cuzco 
lay  ;  and,  wishing  to  cross  the  mountains  before  dark,  he 
entered  the  defiles,  although  his  horses  were  wearied. 

All  seemed  quiet,  as  the  cavaliers  urged  their  horses  up 
the  steep  slope  of  the  pass.  Suddenly,  at  a  bend  in  the 
narrow  way,  men's  blood  ran  chill  as  the  narrow  gorge 
resounded  with  horrible  war-cries,  and  before  they  were 
aware  of  what  had  happened,  from  every  crevice  and 
thicket  Indian  warriors  had  risen  like  a  cloud  of  hornets, 
and  with  spears,  knives  and  axes  were  among  the  soldiers 
of  Spain. 

So  taken  by  surprise  were  the  Spaniards  that,  in  the 
first  mad  rush,  many  of  the  foremost  men  and  horses  were 
dashed  down  and  rolled  over  and  over  among  the  feet  of 
those  behind,  increasing  the  terror  and  confusion. 

De  Soto,  who  was  leading,  quickly  recovering,  ran  his 
sword  through  an  Indian  who  leaped  at  him,  and  cried  out 
to  his  men  : 

"  Steady,  cavaliers.  Form  up — keep  close  and  ad- 
vance !     Advance  !  " 

He  looked  behind  him.  Some  of  the  Indians  had  leaped 
like  mountain  cats  upon  the  horses  and  were  locked  in 
terrible  struggles  with  the  horsemen  ;  others  clung  like 
panthers  to  the  legs  of  the  horses.  But  there  were  others 
of  his  men  who,  with  swift  sword -strokes  to  right  and  left, 
had  already  cut  down  many  of  their  assailants,  and  to 
these  he  shouted  the  old  soul-stirring  battle-cry  which 
would  make  even  a  dying  Spaniard  strike  yet  another 
stroke. 

197 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

"  We  must  gain  the  level  groiintl  above  us  !  St  Jago  ! 
St  Jago  !  " 

Instantly  the  men  responded.  Putting  spurs  to  their 
exhausted  and  frightened  animals,  they  pushed  on,  broke 
through  the  eloud  of  dark  warriors  and,  shaking  them  off, 
at  length  reached  the  broad  level  just  above  them.  Here 
both  parties  paused,  glaring  at  each  other  at  a  little  dis- 
tance, as  if  to  take  breath.  A  small  stream  ran  through 
the  plain,  at  which  the  Spaniards  watered  their  horses 
and  snatched  a  few  moments  to  rest. 

"  Now,  lads,"  said  de  Soto,  "  form  up  and  at  them  again. 
Advance  !  " 

Almost  as  if  moved  by  one  spur,  the  horses  dashed  across 
the  brook  and  into  the  mass  of  Indians.  Most  of  the 
Spaniards  thought  that  the  latter  would  scatter,  but  this 
was  not  the  case.  The  warriors,  undaunted  and  fierce  of 
look,  gave  not  an  inch,  but  leaped  at  the  cavaliers  and  gave 
their  blows  with  great  bravery.  Each  horseman  became 
the  centre  of  a  group  of  crouching,  leaping  Indians  ;  as 
soon  as  his  sword  passed  through  one  and  the  warrior  fell 
dead,  another  took  his  place.  So  fierce  were  they  that 
several  of  the  cavaliers  were  soon  killed,  and  the  Indians 
then  slew  their  horses.  One  tall  Indian  had  a  great 
Peruvian  axe,  made  of  bronze,  and  this  he  sank  into  the 
brain  of  the  horse  of  one  of  the  Spaniards,  and  when  the 
cavalier  came  to  ground,  with  the  next  blow  the  Indian 
had  cleft  him  through  the  headpiece  and  brain  to  the 
chin. 

At  length,  in  the  darkness,  nothing  could  be  seen,  and 
the  battling  warriors  separated.  Each  withdrew  to  the 
farthest  ends  of  the  level  space,  but  so  near  were  they 
that  the  voices  of  each  could  be  heard  distinctly  in  the 
silent  hours  of  the  night. 

198 


In  the  City  of  Gold 

Full  of  gloomy  thoughts  were  the  minds  of  the  Spaniards 
as,  huddling  themselves  in  their  cloaks  beside  their  horses 
for  warmth,  they  nursed  their  aching  wounds  and  waited, 
almost  in  despair,  for  the  dawn.  Few  of  them  believed  that 
victory  would  be  theirs  when  the  light  should  filter  down 
into  the  rocky  hollow  where  they  lay.  They  had  never 
expected  such  stern  resistance  from  timid  and  servile 
Indians,  and  therefore  were  greatly  discouraged  by  this 
first  fierce  check. 

But  de  Soto,  stout-hearted  as  ever,  went  among  them, 
trying  to  cheer  them  up. 

"  Keep  heart,  lads,"  he  said  ;  "  if  we  have  been  able  to 
beat  off  a  superior  number  of  the  rascals  when  our  horses 
were  spent  and  we  ourselves  were  weary,  how  much  easier 
will  it  be  to  beat  them  after  we  have  rested." 

"  It  may  be  as  you  say,"  said  one  ;  "  but  every  one  of 
us  is  stiff  and  sore  with  a  wound  or  two,  and  our  beasts 
have  cuts  and  maims.  And  while  help  for  us  lies  leagues 
behind  us,  these  Indian  fiends  are  probably  gathering  in 
great  crowds  through  the  mountains  to  cut  us  up  at  dawn." 

"  Nay,  despair  not,"  said  de  Soto  ;  "  trust  in  the 
Almighty,  for  I  am  assured  that  He  will  never  desert  His 
faithful  followers  in  this  our  extremity." 

As  if  to  mock  him  came  a  cry  as  of  triumph  from  the 
camp  of  the  Indians,  and  voices  in  eager  speech  could  be 
heard.  The  Spaniards  sank  deeper  into  despair,  and  when 
they  slept  their  sleep  was  broken  by  fears  of  creeping  foes 
or  by  dreadful  carnage. 

Half  way  through  the  dark,  suddenly  the  Spanish 
sentries  thought  they  heard  far  and  faint  the  sound  as  of 
a  trumpet.  Straining  their  ears,  they  listened,  and  soon 
were  certain  that  it  was  indeed  the  clear  call  of  a  bugle  at 
some  distance  far  in  the  rear.     Most  of  the  men  started 

199 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

up  from  sleep  at  the  sound,  and  one,  seizing  his  bugle, 
blew  a  note  or  two  upon  it,  and  then  listened.  In  a  few 
moments  the  answer  came  clearer  than  before.  It  was 
indeed  the  signal  that  some  of  their  countrymen  were  on 
their  way  to  their  aid. 

"  Truly,"  said  one,  "  the  captain  said  aright.  Heaven 
has  not  left  us  to  the  savages,  but  is  sending  us  aid  in  our 
greatest  hour  of  need." 

Some  began  to  give  thanks  to  Heaven  already,  while 
others  kept  up  the  signals.  In  a  little  while  they  heard 
the  beat  of  horses'  hoofs  coming  swiftly  nearer  and  nearer 
in  the  darkness,  and  soon  the  gruff  voice  of  Almagro,  sound- 
ing like  sweet  music  in  their  ears,  cried  : 

"  Are  ye  all  alive  still,  lads  ?  " 

Very  joyful  were  the  greetings  which  de  Soto's  men  gave 
to  their  rescuers,  who,  they  learned,  numbered  almost  all 
the  remaining  cavalry  of  the  Spanish  force.  It  appears 
that  Pizarro  had  become  afraid  that  the  company  under 
de  Soto  might  be  insufficient  to  push  through  the  increasing 
clouds  of  hostile  Indians,  and  had  therefore  sent  Almagro 
forward,  who,  good  soldier  that  he  was,  had  left  nothing 
to  chance,  but  had  come  on  by  forced  marches,  not  staying 
even  when  night  had  come  on. 

When  the  morning  light  broke  in  the  cleft  of  the 
mountains,  where  Spaniard  and  Indian  lay  in  opposite 
camps,  the  Indians  saw  with  dismay  that  the  number  of 
their  opponents  had  greatly  increased  during  the  night. 
They  could  be  seen  to  cluster  in  groups  as  if  taking  counsel 
among  themselves  ;  but  it  seemed  that  they  were  dis- 
inclined to  fight. 

A  thick  fog  began  to  draw  over  the  slopes  of  the 
mountains  as  the  sun's  light  strengthened,  and  for  the 
moment  the  Spaniards  feared  the  Indians  might  attack 

200 


In  the  City  of  Gold 

them  under  its  cover,  and  therefore  stood  to  arms.  But 
as  the  warmth  of  the  sun  increased  and  the  rolhng  mist 
thinned  and  vanished,  they  saw  that  not  an  Indian  re- 
mained. 

Almagro  and  de  Soto  thereupon  advanced  upon  their 
way,  and  found  that  the  passes  were  entirely  open.  They 
were  no  more  molested,  and  when  they  had  passed  through 
the  sierra  they  made  a  camp  in  the  valley  and  awaited  the 
arrival  of  Pizarro. 

The  Spanish  leader  was  informed  by  an  Indian  runner 
of  the  retreat  of  the  insurgents,  and  after  leaving  a  strong 
force  at  Xauxa  to  found  a  settlement  so  as  to  hold  the 
district  in  subjection,  he  pushed  on  with  his  remaining  force 
and  joined  Almagro  and  de  Soto.  Tlie  treasure  of  the 
Spaniards  was  also  left  at  Xauxa  under  the  protection  of 
the  garrison,  as  they  feared  that  if  they  carried  it  about 
with  them  it  stood  greater  chance  of  being  lost. 

When  Pizarro  had  joined  forces  with  Almagro  and  de 
Soto  they  rested  for  some  days  in  a  beautiful  valley  a  few 
miles  from  Cuzco,  where,  in  the  midst  of  gardens  and 
orchards,  many  houses  belonging  to  the  Inca  nobles  were 
embosomed  in  the  trees.  These  the  soldiers  looted,  dis- 
covering a  considerable  quantity  of  treasure. 

While  resting  there,  a  great  procession  of  splendidly 
dressed  Inca  chiefs  was  seen  coming  up  the  road,  at  the 
head  of  which,  in  a  gorgeous  litter,  sat  a  young  man,  from 
whose  jewelled  dress  the  light  flashed  as  he  moved.  De- 
scending from  the  litter,  the  young  noble  craved  leave  to 
speak  with  Pizarro,  and  being  admitted  into  the  apart- 
ment of  the  Spaniard,  he  said  : 

"  Senor,  I  am  Manco,  brother  to  Huascar,  whom 
Atahualpa  slew.  I  am  the  rightful  heir  to  the  throne 
of  Peru,  and  I  crave  your  protection  and  your  aid  to 

201 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

set  me  upon  the  throne  of  my  lathers,  the  Children  of  the 
Sun." 

Pizarro  heard  the  young  prince  with  great  satisfaction, 
and  received  him  with  kindness.  The  Spanish  general 
thought  that  if  he  placed  Mancoupon  the  throne  he  would 
be  an  instrument  in  his  hand  which  he  could  use  as  he 
pleased  for  the  better  subjugation  of  the  whole  land.  He 
therefore  promised  his  protection  to  the  young  prince, 
and  when,  a  day  or  two  later,  Pizarro  resumed  his  march 
to  Cuzco,  Manco  and  his  suite  of  Inca  nobles  accompanied 
him. 

It  was  late  in  the  afternoon  when  the  conquerors, 
standing  on  a  hill -side,  saw  the  city  of  Cuzco  in  the  valley 
below  them.  The  evening  sun  was  streaming  upon  the 
white  walls  of  the  famous  city,  at  which  the  Spaniards 
gazed  with  eager  eyes.  They  could  see  the  great  square 
in  the  midst  of  the  town,  and  the  low  white-walled  palaces 
near  it ;  and  down  the  long  regular  streets  they  could  see 
the  people  passing.  In  the  gentle  evening  air  all  looked 
quiet  and  peaceful  in  the  city,  as  if  it  expected  that  the 
dawn  which  would  rise  upon  it  on  the  morrow  would  be 
no  different  from  thousands  of  other  dawns,  which  had 
found  it  secure  and  at  peace  under  the  strong  protection 
of  the  Children  of  the  Sun. 

Behind  the  city  rose  a  rocky  hill,  almost  a  mountain,  on 
the  slopes  of  which  rose  three  great  towers  beside  each 
other.  A  triple  wall  surrounded  them,  and  the  practised 
eyes  of  the  Spaniards  told  them  that  these  dark  towers, 
built  of  immense  stones,  were  of  stupendous  strength, 
sufficient  to  resist  even  the  art  of  European  war.  These 
towers,  frowning  over  the  city,  seemed  to  forbid  the  ap- 
proach of  the  Spaniards,  or  to  defy  their  power. 

The  night  was  falling  so  rapidly  that  Pizarro  determined 

202 


In  the  City  of  Gold 

to  encamp  where  he  was,  and  after  the  evening  meal, 
sentries  were  set  and  the  soldiers  slept  on  their  arms,  lest 
a  sudden  attack  should  be  intended  from  the  city.  The 
night,  however,  passed  in  quietness,  and  early  next  day 
Pizarro  formed  his  little  army  in  an  ordered  array,  and 
continued  his  march  towards  the  city. 

The  suburbs  of  the  city,  composed  of  narrow  streets 
lined  by  little  one-storeyed  huts  of  sun-baked  mud,  were 
thronged  with  a  countless  multitude  who  had  come  forth 
to  see  the  approach  of  the  strangers,  whose  terrible  deeds 
had  sent  a  thrill  of  horror  through  the  land. 

The  people  gazed  with  wide  eyes  at  the  fair  faces,  the 
flashing  headpieces  and  the  shining  breastplates,  and 
looked  in  fear  at  the  mettlesome  chargers  as  they  tossed 
their  heads  and  champed  their  bits.  When  the  trumpeters 
sent  forth  their  long,  challenging  notes  through  the  streets 
of  the  city,  the  people  seemed  to  shrink  away,  and  the 
tramp,  tramp,  tramp  of  the  cavalry,  which  shook  the 
very  earth  beneath  them,  caused  many  to  hide  themselves 
indoors. 

Pizarro,  at  the  head  of  his  army,  rode  directly  to  the 
great  square,  and,  there  halting,  he  turned  to  his  men  and 
said  : 

"  We  have  now  reached  this  famed  treasure  city  of  the 
Incas,  and  the  capital  of  its  kingdom.  I  charge  you  all 
to  bear  yourselves  to  the  inhabitants  with  all  courtesy 
and  gentleness,  to  provoke  no  hostility  and  to  do  no  deeds 
of  violence  to  any.  I  forbid  any  man  to  enter  the  house 
of  any  dweller  in  this  city,  or  to  take  anything  from  them 
under  pain  of  punishment.  You  will  camp  here  in  the 
plaza  with  your  horses  picketed  by  your  side,  so  that  you 
may  be  ready  to  repulse  any  attack." 

As  soon  as  Pizarro  had  finished  speaking,  the  cavalry 

203 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

dismounted  and  picketed  their  horses,  and  sentries  were 
set  at  numerous  points  about  the  square.  Then  the  main 
part  of  the  soldiers  separated  in  bands  about  the  city, 
seeking  for  treasure  in  the  palaces  and  temples,  which, 
not  being  private  houses,  were  not  covered  by  Pizarro's 
prohibition. 

Those  among  the  conquerors  whose  minds  were  not  filled 
with  the  greed  for  gold  were  struck  by  the  air  of  refinement 
and  luxury  which  marked  not  only  the  dresses  and  bearing 
of  many  of  the  people  standing  in  the  streets,  or  gazing 
from  their  doors,  but  the  interiors  of  the  houses  of  which 
they  caught  glimpses  as  they  passed. 

Then,  also,  the  length  and  regularity  of  the  streets  were 
remarkable.  Certainly  they  were  narrow,  but  most  were 
paved  with  small  stones,  and  doAvn  the  centre  ran  an  open 
gutter.  They  crossed  each  other  at  right  angles,  and  from 
the  great  square  ran  four  principal  streets  connecting  with 
the  four  great  highways  running  through  the  kingdom. 
The  square  itself  was  paved  with  fine  pebbles. 

Through  the  heart  of  the  city  ran  a  river  of  pure  water, 
the  banks  or  sides  of  which  for  a  distance  of  sixty  miles 
through  the  valley  were  faced  with  stone.  Across  it,  at 
places  here  and  there,  were  placed  paved  bridges. 

The  sight,  however,  which  struck  the  coarsest  soul  among 
the  conquerors  with  wonder  was  that  of  the  great  Temple 
of  the  Sun,  which  filled  one  side  of  the  great  square.  With 
its  chapels,  dormitories  and  other  buildings,  it  covered  a 
large  extent  of  ground,  and  was  completely  surrounded  by 
an  immense  wall,  built  of  fine  stones,  beautifully  polished, 
and  so  large  that  many  of  the  Spaniards  wondered  how 
they  had  been  placed  in  position. 

A  band  of  Spanish  soldiers  thundered  with  the  handles 
of  their  poniards  at  the  great  gate  in  the  wall  of  this  edifice, 

204 


In   the   City  of  Gold 

and  quickly  obtained  admission.  They  dashed  across 
the  courtyard  to  where  the  broad  entrance  of  the  temple 
yawned  open,  and,  running  in,  stood  still  at  the  wonderful 
sight  that  dazzled  their  eyes. 

The  inside  of  the  temple  was  literally  a  mine  of  pure 
gold  ! 

The  vast  interior  before  them  shone  with  the  glory  of 
the  western  sun,  the  rays  of  which,  striking  through  an 
opening,  were  reflected  in  a  blinding  light  from  the  ceiling 
and  every  corner  of  the  great  chamber,  for  its  rays  rested 
on  nothing  but  pure  gold  and  brilliant  gems. 

On  the  western  wall  was  a  massive  plate  of  gold,  with 
a  human  face  engraved  upon  it,  and  from  its  head  long 
rays  stretched,  also  made  of  gold.  Every  part  of  the  face 
was  thickly  set  with  gems  and  precious  stones.  This  was 
the  figure  of  the  Sun,  the  god  of  the  Peruvians  ;  and  was 
so  placed  that  the  dawning  rays  of  the  rising  sun  should 
strike  upon  it  in  the  first  soft  light  of  the  day,  lighting  up 
the  temple  with  the  dazzling  presence  as  of  the  god  himself. 

Strangest  sight  of  all,  perhaps,  were  the  effigies  of  dead 
Incas  which  were  ranged  on  opposite  sides  of  the  great 
apartment.  The  mummies  sat  on  chairs  of  gold,  their 
heads  bent  as  if  in  thought,  their  hands  clasped  across 
their  bosoms,  their  hair,  silver-grey  or  black,  according  to 
the  time  of  life  at  which  they  had  died,  dressed  with  the 
sign  of  royal  power.  Rich  clothing  covered  the  dead  limbs, 
and  so  well  preserved  were  the  bodies  that  the  hue  of 
each  face  seemed  to  say  that  this  was  the  living  form, 
not  one  which  had  been  the  tenement  of  death  for  per- 
haps ten  generations. 

On  the  floor  of  the  great  apartment  stood  golden  censers, 
in  which  sweet  incenses  were  burning,  ewers  holding  water, 
and,  most  striking  of  all,  twelve  great  vases  of  pure  silver 

205 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

holding  the  grain  of  Indian  corn.  Each  vase  or  bin  was 
the  height  of  a  lance,  and  so  large  that  two  men  with  out- 
stretched arms  could  hardly  encompass  them. 

All  about  the  chamber  were  other  utensils,  and  on  the 
walls  were  great  bosses  or  plates  of  massive  gold,  burnished 
and  dazzling. 

The  Spaniards  ran  through  the  temple  and  entered  a 
smaller  chapel,  which  they  found  was  full  of  silver  light. 
This  was  dedicated  to  the  Moon,  and  her  effigy  was  shown 
on  a  vast  plate  of  silver  on  one  wall,  and  all  the  utensils  and 
decorations  of  the  chamber  were  of  the  same  metal.  Other 
chapels  were  found,  dedicated,  one,  to  the  Stars,  another 
to  the  Thunder  and  the  Lightning,  and  a  third  to  the 
Rainbow.  All  were  adorned  with  the  precious  metals, 
jewels  and  brilliants. 

Some  of  the  Spaniards  began  at  once  to  seize  what 
could  be  carried  away.  The  plates  of  gold  were  prised 
from  the  walls  of  the  temple,  the  ewers  and  vases  were 
emptied,  and  all  were  carried  to  a  great  hall  opening  out 
of  the  plaza,  to  which  other  Spaniards  were  running  up 
with  other  treasures  in  their  hands.  These  they  deposited 
in  the  common  heap,  and,  their  eyes  shining,  their  faces 
bedewed  with  perspiration,  they  stayed  but  to  exchange 
a  jest  and  ran  off  again,  filled  with  the  lust  of  treasure- 
hunting. 

From  every  quarter  of  the  great  city,  indeed,  the  soldiers 
were  dragging  the  riches  which  the  piety  or  reverence  of 
generations  of  Peruvians  had  deposited.  From  temples, 
where  worshippers  had  brought  offerings  to  their  gods,  and 
from  the  silent  and  closed  palaces  of  dead  Incas,  where  all 
their  treasures  had  been  sealed  up  for  many  generations — 
all  were  rifled,  and  things  beautiful  and  rich  were  piled  up 
pell-mell. 

206 


The  Spaniards  began  to  seize  what  could  be  carried  away  206 


In  the  City  of  Gold 

Meanwhile  the  priests  and  guardians  from  whose  care 
these  things  were  taken  either  fled  away  into  hiding,  or 
looked  on  with  impotent  wrath  in  their  eyes,  calling  down 
the  curses  or  instant  wrath  of  their  gods  upon  the  pollu- 
tors  of  the  sanctuaries.  But  with  a  reckless  laugh  or  a  jest 
at  the  dark,  sour  faces  of  the  priests,  the  conquerors,  their 
hands  full  of  the  rifled  riches,  hurried  past  them  unharmed, 
their  work  of  spoliation  unchecked  by  any  sudden  death- 
stroke. 

Not  only  were  there  things  of  beauty  and  wealth  within 
the  temples  and  palaces,  but  the  gardens  attached  to  them 
sparkled  with  gold  and  silver,  undimmed  in  the  dry  and 
brilliant  climate  where  rain  rarely  fell.  Every  form  of  fruit 
and  flower,  vegetable  and  tree,  was  carved  delicately  in 
gold  or  silver,  and  planted  in  the  soil,  knowing  no  decay 
of  the  season  ;  while  here  and  there  were  golden  animals, 
crouching  or  lying  amid  the  rich  artificial  vegetation. 

All  these  were  torn  up  by  the  conquerors  and  deposited 
on  the  great  heap  now  rising  higher  and  higher  in  the  hall 
of  the  plaza.  Nor  did  they  hesitate  to  plunder  the  royal 
mummies,  but  overturning  each,  they  dragged  the  golden 
chairs  away,  and  then,  tearing  the  rich  ornaments  and 
vestures  from  the  bodies  of  the  dead  Incas,  left  them 
lying  as  they  had  fallen.  In  some  places  they  believed  they 
traced  where  other  mummies  had  lately  sat  upon  golden 
thrones,  and,  seeking  the  priests,  they  charged  them  with 
concealing  some  of  their  treasures.  Some  denied  this, 
while  others  scornfully  smiled.  Many  of  them  were  put 
to  the  torture  by  the  more  rapacious  Spaniards,  in  the 
endeavour  to  extort  from  them  the  confession  of  their 
hiding-places. 

Not  a  corner  was  left  unsearched  by  the  bands  of  con- 
querors that  swarmed  through  the  city.     Every  palace  was 

207 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

ransacked,  even  the  sepulchres  which  honeycombed  the 
rocks  and  sands  outside  the  city  were  broken  open  where 
it  seemed  hkely  treasure  might  be  buried,  nor  was  this 
narrow  search  always  left  unrewarded.  In  a  cavern  they 
found  a  number  of  vases  of  pure  gold,  richly  embossed 
with  the  figures  of  serpents  and  locusts.  Deeper  in  the 
gloom  of  the  cave  they  came  upon  four  llamas  made  of 
gold,  and  behind  these  were  lying  a  dozen  figures  of  women, 
some  of  gold  and  others  of  silver.  The  figures  were  life- 
size,  but  the  gold  was  only  a  thin  covering  of  the  plaster 
beneath  it  ;  nevertheless  the  workmanship  was  very 
delicate.  Some  of  these  were  afterwards  sent  to  Spain, 
as  part  of  the  emperor's  fifth  share. 

The  various  storehouses  or  magazines  which  were  placed 
here  and  there  about  the  city  were  not  left  unsearched  ; 
but  in  these  the  looters  found  little  to  their  liking  in  their 
present  lust  for  gold.  There  were  richly  tinted  robes  of 
cotton  and  feather  work,  sandals  and  slippers  adorned  with 
gold  for  women,  and  dresses  composed  entirely  of  beads 
of  gold.  The  more  valuable  of  these  they  took  ;  but  the 
greater  portion  of  the  stores  with  which  the  magazines 
were  filled — maize  and  other  articles  of  food — were  held  in 
contempt  by  the  freebooters  and  scattered  or  overturned. 

Several  days  were  spent  in  this  search  for  plunder,  and 
every  article  discovered  brought  to  the  heap,  which  now 
was  of  enormous  proportions.  A  date  was  then  pro- 
claimed at  which  the  general  would  distribute  the  treasure, 
and  on  the  day  appointed,  when  most  of  the  gold  and 
silver  had  been  melted  down  into  bars  of  equal  weight 
and  size,  the  soldiers  formed  up  in  the  great  square,  and 
Pizarro  then  proceeded  to  divide  the  spoil. 

The  total  value  of  the  treasure  was  580,200  pesos 'of 
gold,  worth  in  English  money  of  the  present  time  about 

208 


In  the   City  of  Gold 

£1,524,000.  Four  hundred  and  eighty  men  had  to  receive 
a  share  of  this,  so  that  the  amount  received  by  each  man 
was  comparatively  small.  The  horsemen  had  larger 
shares  than  the  infantry. 

Great  disappointment  was  expressed  by  some  at  the 
smallness  of  the  total  amount.  It  had  been  thought  that, 
once  having  reached  the  City  of  Gold  itself,  the  treasure  to 
be  found  there  would  far  exceed  that  collected  by  the  Inca 
for  his  ransom,  which,  it  will  be  remembered,  amounted 
to  1,326,539  pesos  of  gold.  Then  tales  were  called  to 
mind  which  they  had  heard  at  Caxamalca  when  it  had  been 
told  them  how  priests  of  many  of  the  temples  at  Cuzco 
and  elsewhere  had  disobeyed  the  commands  of  the  Inca, 
and  had  hidden  away  the  choicest  parts  of  the  treasures 
of  the  temples.  Henceforth  the  conquerors  were  never 
weary  of  seeking  for  the  gold  concealed  at  that  time  ; 
every  tomb  was  rifled,  rivers  were  dragged  and  lakes  were 
drained  in  the  endeavour  to  light  upon  the  hidden  treasure. 
To  the  present  day  such  tales  are  repeated,  and  to  many 
a  lake  and  many  a  solitary  place  in  Peru  still  clings  the 
legend  of  treasure  hidden  hurriedly  by  the  priests  or  Indians 
when  they  heard  of  the  Inca's  imprisonment,  of  his  death, 
or  of  the  advance  of  the  fierce  conquerors. 

The  night  after  the  division  of  the  spoil  was  spent  by 
the  Spaniards  in  the  same  reckless  way  as  was  the  case 
after  the  sim  lar  event  at  Caxamalca.  They  sat  in  the  great 
hall  leading  out  of  the  square  in  which  they  had  now  taken 
up  their  quarters,  and  gambled  until  the  small  hours. 
Some  won  the  fortunes  of  others  and  then  lost  that  and 
their  own  to  a  more  fortunate  gamester.  Among  them  was 
a  cavalry  ofiicer,  a  reckless  man,  who  could  never  keep 
from  the  dice,  and  who  had  frequently,  both  in  Spain  and 
the  New  World,  gambled  away  his  possessions  down  to  the 
o  209 


The   Conquerors  of  Peru 

very  clothes  in  which  he  stood.  His  name  was  Mancio 
Sierra  Leguisamo,  and  to  him  had  fallen  the  great  image 
of  the  Sun  which,  raised  on  a  plate  of  massive  gold,  had 
been  fixed  on  the  western  wall  of  the  temple.  This  was 
his  share  of  the  booty,  and  by  a  single  throw  of  the  dice 
he  lost  it,  thus  giving  rise  to  a  Spanish  proverb  which 
describes  a  reckless  spendthrift  as  one  who  would  ''  play 
away  the  sun  before  sunrise." 

A  few  there  were,  however,  who,  now  that  they  had 
secured  that  for  which  they  had  left  their  native  land, 
were  content  to  tempt  fate  no  further,  and  having  given 
their  leader  due  notice,  they  set  off  with  the  treasure  they 
had  gained  and  travelled  back  to  the  coast.  There  they 
took  ship  to  Spain,  where,  returning  to  their  native  places, 
their  riches  gave  them  a  sufficiency  for  the  remainder  of 
their  lives,  while  the  fame  of  the  manner  in  which  they 
had  acquired  their  wealth  excited  others  to  enlist  in  the 
expeditions  which,  when  the  news  of  Pizarro's  success  had 
got  abroad,  issued  from  every  port  in  Spain,  to  hurry 
across  the  ocean  to  the  Land  of  Gold. 

After  the  division  of  the  spoil,  the  chief  men  among 
the  Spaniards  began  to  take  possession  of  many  of  the 
places  surrounding  the  great  square,  which  were  formerly 
owned  by  the  Incas  or  their  nobles.  Many  of  them  also 
took  as  wives  the  daughters  or  other  kinswomen  of  the 
Inca  nobles,  and  began  to  settle  down  in  the  place  as  if 
they  had  no  thought  of  ever  again  leaving  it. 

The  young  Inca,  Manco,  was  presented  to  the  people 
by  Pizarro  as  their  future  king,  and  was  received  with 
great  enthusiasm.  His  coronation  took  place  at  once, 
at  which  both  he  and  the  Peruvian  nobles  performed 
the  ceremony  of  homage  to  the  Crown  of  Castile,  and  thus 
confessed  I  hat  the  conquest  of  their  land  was  now  complete. 

210 


CHAPTER    XIV 

The   Rebellion  of  the   Indians 

WHEN  all  things  had  been  settled,  and  the  city- 
had  been  placed  under  the  control  of  duly- 
appointed  municipal  officers,  Pizarro,  who  was 
now  called  governor,  set  out  towards  the  coast  for  the 
purpose  of  founding  a  city  which  should  be  the  capital 
of  the  new  colony  of  Spain. 

After  some  time  he  decided  to  lay  out  the  new  town 
some  six  miles  from  the  broad  mouth  of  a  river  which 
lay  some  twelve  degrees  south  of  the  line.  He  planned 
the  town  with  almost  Roman  regularity.  Its  streets  were 
wider  than  usual  in  Spanish  towns,  and  perfectly  straight, 
crossing  one  another  at  right  angles,  and  so  far  apart  as  to 
afford  ample  space  for  gardens  to  the  houses  and  for  public 
squares.  The  name  of  the  city  was  to  be  the  City  of  the 
Kings,  but  this  was  soon  changed  for  the  native  name  of 
Lima. 

Indians  were  got  together  from  villages  many  miles 
around,  and  the  soldiers,  laying  aside  their  weapons,  took 
building  tools,  plumb-lines,  and  measuring  tapes,  and  the 
whole  area  was  soon  a  hive  of  industry.  The  plaza,  which 
was  an  extensive  place,  was  first  laid  out,  and  then  the 
foundations  were  laid  of  the  buildings  which  were  to 
surround  it — the  cathedral,  the  to\vn  hall  and  the  palace 
of  the  governor.  So  firmly  were  they  built  and  so  solidly, 
that  they  have  defied  the  shocks  of  many  earthquakes 

211 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

which  have  laid  other  parts  of  the  town  in  mins,  and  a 
great  part  of  the  palace  of  Pizarro  still  stands  facing  the 
public  square  of  Lima. 

While  these  works  were  going  on,  Pizarro  called  Almagro 
and  bade  him  go  back  to  Cuzco,  to  take  command  of  that 
capital,  which  had  been  left  in  the  hands  of  a  younger 
brother  of  Pizarro,  named  Juan.  He  also  desired  Al- 
magro to  send  an  expedition,  or  to  go  himself,  and  en- 
deavour to  conquer  the  land  which  lay  south  of  Cuzco, 
which  we  still  know  by  its  native  name  of  Chili. 

The  two  commanders  separated  in  all  friendliness,  and 
no  one,  seeing  them  shake  hands  and  bow  in  parting, 
could  have  dreamed  that  within  the  next  few  months  they 
were  to  be  opposed  in  deadly  enmity. 

Almagro  made  his  way  leisurely  to  Cuzco,  accompanied 
by  a  troop  of  cavaliers.  Just  as  he  was  about  to  strike 
his  camp  on  the  morning  of  the  day  he  was  to  enter  Cuzco, 
shouts  were  heard  behind,  and,  looking  back,  he  and  his 
men  saw  a  solitary  horseman  coming  down  the  sloping 
ground  of  the  Cordilleras,  waving  his  hand  as  if  bidding 
the  others  wait  for  him. 

Almagro  marvelled  how  the  man  came  to  be  solitary  in 
that  part,  for  he  knew  by  the  fact  of  his  riding  a  horse 
that  he  must  be  a  Spaniard.  Very  soon  the  rider  came 
swiftly  into  camp,  his  horse  blown  and  exhausted,  and  on 
his  garments  was  every  sign  of  extreme  haste. 

"  Who  are  you  ?  "  demanded  Almagro,  "and  why  ride 
you  alone  after  me  ?  " 

"  Senor,"  replied  the  man,  ''  I  come  from  Sancho  Aquil, 
one  of  the  two  friends  whom  you  sent  with  Hernando 
Pizarro  to  Spain  to  give  a  due  account  of  your  services  to 
the  emperor.     I  have  pleasant  news  for  you,  seiior." 

"  Now,  that  is  good,  scnor,"  replied  Almagro,  pleased 

212 


The   Rebellion  of  the   Indians 

at  the  words.  ""  Alight,  for  you  seem  wearied,  and  need 
rest.  You  seem  to  have  travelled  fast,  and  were  bold  to 
travel  alone,  seeing  that  there  are  insurgent  Indians 
swarming  the  country.  Ho  !  there,  Pedro,  Martin,  get 
our  comrade  some  food  and  drink.  We  will  rest  here 
a  while  longer.  While  they  prepare  food  for  you,  tell  me 
your  story." 

"  Seiior,  I  knew  you  would  like  to  learn  quickly  what 
had  passed,"  went  on  the  man,  "  and  therefore  I  hastened 
with  the  best  speed  I  could  from  Nombre  de  Dios,  so  soon 
as  Hernando's  fleet  touched  land.  The  emperor  has 
given  you  power  and  authority  to  conquer  and  rule  the 
land  for  a  distance  of  two  hundred  leagues  from  the 
southern  limit  of  the  governor's  territory." 

Almagro's  face  brightened  ;  he  pushed  out  his  chest, 
straightened  himself,  curled  his  moustache,  and  began 
to  walk  up  and  down  with  quick  steps  and  an  air  of  self- 
importance  upon  him. 

"  Come,  come,"  he  said,  "  that  is  very  good.  So  his 
Majesty  hath  remembered  me  at  last,  and  now — now  I  am 
free  of  those  envious  Pizarros  who  have  ever  ousted  me. 
I  imagine,  my  man,  that  Hernando  put  in  no  word  for  me 
so  that  the  emperor  should  grant  me  this  government  ?  " 

"  Your  friends,  Don  Rafael  and  Don  Enrique,  gave  his 
Majesty  a  full  account  of  your  services,  senor,"  was  the 
reply  ;   "  but  Don  Hernando  mentioned  not  /our  name." 

"  I  knew  it  !  I  knew  it  !  "  cried  Almagro,  and  his  face 
darkened  with  a  scowl.  "  They  never  loved  me,  those 
Pizarros,  though  Francisco  and  I  have  shared  our  beds 
and  our  watches  on  many  a  perilous  march.  Well,  I  am 
free  of  him  now,  and  henceforth  I  will  be  lord  in  my  own 
marches  and  brook  none  of  their  insults  and  suspicions. 
Two  hundred  leagues,  you  said  ?    What  say  you,  Or- 

213 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

gonez,"  said  Alniagro,  turning  to  his  lieutenant,  who 
was  standing  beside  him,  "  will  not  that  give  me  Cuzco 
itself  ?  " 

The  man  he  spoke  to  was  tall  of  stature,  well  built  and 
of  great  strength.  He  was  dressed  in  shining  breastplate 
and  helmet,  and  grizzled  eyebrows  jutted  over  grim  grey 
eyes.  His  face  was  seamed  and  tanned,  and  every  gesture 
betrayed  something  of  the  stem  training  he  had  received 
in  the  long  years  of  war  in  Italy,  where  he  had  served.  He 
had  taken  part  in  the  famous  sack  of  Rome  in  1527,  and 
was  known  to  every  general  on  the  continent  of  Europe 
as  an  excellent  soldier,  loyal  to  the  last,  prompt  of  action, 
utterly  fearless  and  unflinching  in  the  execution  of  any 
order.  His  opinion,  therefore,  was  sought  by  Almagro 
on  every  occasion. 

"  If  it  does,"  Orgofiez  replied,  with  a  grim  smile,  "  we 
shall  see  some  pretty  fighting  ere  long.  Think  you, 
Pizarro  will  let  go  the  brightest  jewel  in  his  marquis's 
coronet  ?  " 

"  If  it  comes  within  my  grant  from  the  emperor,"  said 
Almagro,  with  a  threatening  air,  "  he  must  needs  lose  it. 
Where,"  he  went  on,  turning  to  the  messenger,  "  is  the 
document  giving  me  this  territory  ?  " 

"  It  is  with  Hernando  Pizarro,"  replied  the  man,  "  whom 
I  left  at  Panama.     I  pushed  on  before  him." 

"  The  Pizarros  will  be  slow  to  send  it  me,  I  doubt  not," 
said  Almagro  ;  "  but  it  matters  not.  Wliat  I  have  I  will 
hold  against  any  of  them." 

Almagro 's  good-nature  had  quickly  won  his  soldiers  to 
be  his  devoted  friends,  and  on  the  question  as  to  whether 
Cuzco  did  or  did  not  fall  within  the  territory  granted  to 
him,  all  were  confident  that  the  rich  city,  which  had  been 
the  aim  of  all  Pizarro's  efforts,  did  indeed  fall  within  the 

214 


The   Rebellion  of  the   Indians 

country  now  ceded  to  their  chief.  Full  of  elation,  there- 
fore, Almagro  continued  his  journey,  and,  entering  Cuzco, 
was  received  with  all  respect  by  Juan  and  Gonzalo 
Pizarro,  who,  in  accordance  with  instructions  sent  them 
by  the  marquis,  instantly  resigned  the  government  of  the 
city  into  the  hands  of  Almagro. 

Meanwhile  Pizarro  at  Lima  had  heard  also  of  the  rumours 
as  to  Almagro's  advancement.  He  had  not  received  any 
news  from  his  brother  Hernando,  who  was  still  at  Panama  ; 
but  the  thought  that  Cuzco  was  to  be  given  to  his  friend 
and  rival  was  a  very  disturbing  one. 

Without  loss  of  time,  therefore,  he  sent  messengers  with 
letters  to  Almagro  and  to  Juan  and  Gonzalo  Pizarro.  The 
latter  he  instructed  to  take  over  again  the  government  of 
the  city,  and  in  his  letter  to  Almagro  he  said  that  this  course 
was  necessary  because,  when  he  should  receive  the  royal 
grant  itself,  it  would  be  unbecoming  to  be  already  found 
in  possession  of  the  post.  He  advised  him,  moreover,  to 
go  forward  without  delay  in  his  conquest  of  the  land  to 
the  south. 

When  the  letter  was  read  to  him,  Almagro,  in  a  great 
rage,  said  he  would  not  give  up  his  government,  and  his 
friends  supported  him  in  this.  Many  of  these,  having  felt 
themselves  secure  under  the  easy  and  extravagant  rule  of 
Almagro,  had  taken  possession  of  several  of  the  houses 
of  the  well-to-do  inhabitants,  turning  the  people  out  into 
the  street,  and  using  their  goods,  their  treasures  and  their 
servants  as  if  the  real  owners  were  of  no  account  whatever. 

The  dispute  between  Almagro  and  the  two  Pizarros  rose 
high.  Daily  there  were  wrangles  between  them,  either  in 
Almagro's  house,  or  in  the  street  ;  so  that  soon  all  the  city 
knew  of  the  quarrel,  and  the  municipal  officers,  the 
soldiers,  the  Inca  nobles,  and  the  Indian  population  chose 

215 


The   Conquerors  of  Peru 

sides,  and  wordy  quarrels  took  place  in  nearly  every  street 
in  the  town. 

Soon,  indeed,  the  dispute  became  so  hot  that  it  seemed 
as  though  little  more  were  wanting  to  plunge  the  whole 
city  in  bloodshed.  Suddenly,  however,  a  clear  trumpet 
call  was  heard,  and  into  the  plaza  rode  Pizarro  at  the  head 
of  a  troop.  He  had  received  tidings  of  the  pass  to  which 
events  were  drifting  and  had  posted  in  all  haste  to 
Cuzco. 

Pizarro's  first  interview  was  with  Almagro,  whom  he 
kissed  in  the  Spanish  fashion  with  great  cordiality,  and 
without  any  show  of  ill-feeling  inquired  what  was  the 
cause  of  the  disagreement.  Almagro,  won  over  by 
Pizarro's  friendliness,  grumblingly  blamed  the  two 
Pizarros,  who,  of  course,  retorted  in  the  same  spirit. 

The  final  result  of  the  discussion  seemed  to  hang  in  the 
balance  for  some  time,  but  at  last,  with  the  aid  of  tem- 
perate friends  on  both  sides,  a  reconciliation  was  brought 
about,  and  Almagro  consented  to  give  up  the  city  until  the 
document  containing  the  emperor's  grant  should  arrive. 
Meanwhile  he  was  to  make  preparations  for  his  conquest 
of  the  land  of  Chili,  lying  to  the  south  of  Cuzco. 

So  popular  had  Almagro  become,  by  reason  of  his  open- 
hearted  manner  and  extravagant  gifts,  that  as  soon  as  he 
raised  his  banner,  numbers  of  soldiers  volunteered  to  go 
with  him  on  his  expedition,  trusting  as  they  did  that  Chili 
would  be  found  as  rich  in  treasure  as  Peru,  if  not  richer. 
Two  Peruvians,  Paulo  Topa,  a  brother  of  Manco,  the  Inca, 
and  Villac  Uma,  the  high  priest  of  the  nation,  were  sent 
forward  with  three  Spaniards  to  prepare  the  people  of 
Chili  for  the  advance  of  their  conquerors.  Then  a  detach- 
ment of  a  hundred  and  fifty  men  followed,  under  the 
command  of  an  officer  named  Saavedra,  and  a  little  while 

216 


The   Rebellion  of  the   Indians 

after  Almagro  followed,  leaving  Orgonez  to  enlist  more 
forces  and  to  follow  as  soon  as  possible. 

When  Almagro  had  gone,  Pizarro,  leaving  Cuzco  under 
the  control  of  his  brother  Juan,  set  out  for  his  new  city  of 
Lima,  in  the  building  and  beautifying  of  which  he  took 
the  keenest  pleasure.  He  also  founded  other  cities  along 
the  coast,  chief  of  which  was  Truxillo,  which  he  named 
after  his  own  birthplace  in  Spain. 

All  now  seemed  peaceful  in  Peru,  and  to  promise  a  future 
of  undisturbed  occupation.  The  Indians  appeared  to  be 
content  with  their  change  of  masters,  and  the  Inca  nobles 
to  feel  no  resentment  against  the  conquerors  who,  in  the 
course  of  a  few  months,  had  broken  the  power  of  the  royal 
clan  of  the  Incas,  and  had  put  an  end  to  a  beneficent  rule 
under  which  many  generations  of  Indians  had  lived  peace- 
ful and  comfortable  lives. 

Indeed,  in  the  minds  of  Pizarro  and  his  brothers  was  a 
sense  of  perfect  security,  and  so  much  did  the  majority 
of  the  Spaniards  despise  the  Indians,  or  so  confident  were 
they  in  the  fear  inspired  by  the  Spanish  arms,  that  many 
of  them,  having  obtained  from  Pizarro  the  grant  of  lands 
which  they  coveted  in  various  places,  took  their  wives  and 
children  and  built  farmhouses  out  in  the  country,  away 
from  towns  where  the  Spanish  soldiers  were  in  force. 
Every  Spanish  colonist,  besides  the  land  granted  to  him, 
had  a  certain  number  of  Indians  given  to  him  as  slaves, 
who  had  to  cultivate  the  soil  for  him  in  the  same  way  as 
English  serfs  worked  for  their  lords  in  early  English  and 
Norman  times. 

Thus,  scattered  in  many  solitary  places,  miles  away 
from  the  Spanish  garrison  to"v\Tis,  Spanish  families  dwelt, 
surrounded  by  Indians  whose  language  they  hardly  knew, 
and  who  had  been  conquered  but  a  few  short  months. 

217 


The   Conquerors  of  Peru 

Moreover,  many  of  the  Spanish  masters  were  biTitally 
harsh,  and,  finding  their  Indian  slaves  generally  timid 
and  servile,  they  treated  them  very  cruelly,  and  thus,  as 
is  ever  the  effect  of  slavery,  both  master  and  serf  became 
worse  men  under  its  influence.  This  was  foreseen  by 
many  noble-minded  Spaniards  then  dwelling  in  the  land, 
and  one  such  has  left  on  record  his  detestation  of  the 
slavery  which  was  then  established,  and  which  has  lain 
like  a  curse  ever  since  upon  the  land  and  its  development. 

To  the  eyes  of  the  Spaniards,  therefore,  the  Indians  and 
the  Inca  nobles  seemed  cowed  and  broken-spirited,  but 
if  they  could  have  seen  into  the  darkest  room  of  many  of 
the  dark  houses  in  Cuzco  at  the  time  when  Pizarro  was 
settling  the  quarrel  with  Almagro,  they  would  have  known 
how  deeply  the  shames  and  wrongs  of  defeat  had  entered 
into  the  hearts  of  the  people  whom  they  despised. 

The  spirit  of  vengeance,  indeed,  was  spreading  silently, 
but  with  the  speed  of  wildfire,  throughout  the  hearts  of 
the  seemingly  submissive  Indians  and  Inca  nobles.  It 
had  flamed  up  one  day  when  Manco  the  Inca  returned  to 
his  home  from  another  vain  interview  with  Pizarro.  As 
he  had  done  many  times  before,  he  had  asked  the  Spanish 
leader  to  restore  to  him  the  real  exercise  of  power  as  King 
of  Peru.  The  show,  the  title,  had  been  given  him  ;  but 
it  was  but  an  empty  name. 

To  this  Pizarro  had  again  given  no  direct  refusal,  but 
had  said  that  it  should  be  considered  later.  The  young 
Inca  had  gone  in  deep  depression  to  his  own  house,  and 
there  the  high  priest  of  his  nation,  a  venerable  and  wise  old 
man,  Villac  Uma,  had  met  him  and  had  learnt  the  cause  of 
his  prince's  sadness. 

"  Inca,"  he  had  cried,  while  his  eyes  flashed,  and  the 
usual  calm  face  had  paled,  "  the  cup  of  our  shame  is  over- 

218 


The   Rebellion  of  the  Indians 

full.  We  must  rise  against  the  white  fiends,  we  must  thrust 
their  hateful  yoke  from  our  necks,  or  we  shall  be  for  ever 
sunk  in  shame  and  slavery.  What  have  we  done  hither- 
to ?  We  have  struck  not  one  blow  for  our  freedom.  We 
have  suffered  the  invasion  of  these  strangers,  we  have  seen 
one  monarch  butchered,  but  nothing  have  we  done.  Now 
you,  Inca  in  name  only,  have  been  placed  on  the  vacant 
throne.  Did  you  receive  your  crown  from  your  high 
priest,  as  was  the  ancient  custom  of  your  ancestors  ? 
No,  you  received  it  from  the  hands  of  your  conqueror. 
You  are  but  his  puppet,  and  we  are  all  his  slaves.  We 
have  seen  our  temples  polluted,  our  treasures  torn  from 
sanctuaries  and  from  our  homes,  our  people  made  the 
slaves  of  their  soldiers,  and  last,  but  not  least,  many  of 
our  noble  Inca  maidens  have  been  forced  to  abjure  their 
ancient  faith,  to  receive  baptism,  and  then  to  become  the 
wives  of  these  foreign  demons.  They  respect  nothing  of 
ours,  and  we,  descended  from  the  Sun,  whose  divinity 
has  never  been  questioned,  are  treated  with  contempt  as 
if  we  are  no  more  than  tillers  of  the  soil.  'Tis  for  you, 
Inca,  to  say  the  word — ^whether  we  shall  try  to  thrust 
them  into  the  sea  whence  they  came,  or  let  them  rivet  the 
chains  of  slavery  still  closer  to  our  limbs." 

The  young  Inca,  a  man  with  a  noble  spirit  and  a  gener- 
ous nature,  had  been  stung  to  the  quick  by  the  picture 
thus  presented  by  his  high  priest.  The  word  had  gone 
forth.  Secretly,  by  wandering  Indians  whom  passing 
Spaniards  had  despised  as  beneath  their  notice,  or  whom 
they  had  slashed  with  their  riding-whips  if  they  passed 
too  close  to  their  horses — ^the  news  had  passed  through 
the  length  and  breadth  of  the  land,  lighting  up  the  callous- 
looking  faces,  straightening  the  backs  of  those  bending 
patiently  beneath  the  overseer's  whip  over  the  furrowed 

219 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

fields,  and  putting  all,  from  noble  to  peasant,  into  remem- 
brance of  the  happy  days,  but  a  short  year  or  so  ago,  when, 
under  the  benign  despotism  of  the  Inca,  the  land  had 
dwelt  in  peace,  security  and  contentment. 

Villac  Uma  himself  had  been  appointed  by  the  Inca  to 
go  south  with  Almagro's  company,  so  that  he  could  spread 
the  word  among  the  people  in  those  parts,  and  this  done, 
he  had  secretly  returned  to  Cuzco,  to  await  the  signal  for 
the  rising  that  would  at  one  blow — if  the  gods  so  pleased — 
free  their  country  from  bondage. 

Once,  indeed,  it  seemed  that  all  their  hopes  were  doomed 
to  ruin,  for  the  Spaniards  became  suspicious  of  the  move- 
ments of  the  young  Inca,  and  therefore  Juan  Pizarro 
arrested  him  one  day  and  put  him  in  prison.  For  a  time 
the  Peruvians  had  to  lament  their  ruined  plans,  but  soon 
accident  or  good  fortune  gave  them  a  better  chance. 

This  was  brought  about  by  the  return  of  Hernando 
Pizarro  to  Lima.  His  brother  the  governor  then  learned 
for  the  first  time  that  his  province  had  been  enlarged  by 
the  emperor  so  that  he  was  to  govern  the  territory  for 
two  hundred  and  seventy  leagues  south  of  the  river 
Santiago,  which  lay  far  north  of  Quito.  This  was  seventy 
leagues  farther  south  than  had  before  been  granted  to  him, 
and  both  Pizarro  and  his  brother  were  now  convinced  that 
Cuzco  now  lay  within  the  newly  extended  limits  of  his 
new  territory. 

To  make  sure  of  the  city,  however,  Pizarro  sent  Hernando 
to  take  command  of  it  as  governor,  and  the  latter  instantly 
set  forth  and  reached  the  place  in  safety.  Hernando, 
although  his  bearing  toward  his  ovm  countrymen  was  very 
arrogant,  had  always  behaved  well  to  the  Peruvians,  and 
had  been  a  friend  to  Atahualpa.  Indeed,  it  was  said 
that  if  Hernando  had  been  in  Peru  at  the  time  of  the 

220 


The   Rebellion  of  the   Indians 

trial    of  the   Inca,  the   latter  would   never  have   been 
executed. 

On  reaching  Cuzco,  he  found  that  the  new  Lica,  Manco, 
was  a  prisoner  ;  and  after  his  first  interview  with  him, 
showed  himself  very  friendly  to  the  young  prince  and 
liberated  him.  With  his  freedom  the  hopes  of  bringing 
the  rising  to  a  successful  finish  revived  in  the  breast  of 
the  Inca.  An  opportunity  for  escape  soon  offered  itself, 
and  he  fled. 

Hernando  sent  his  brother  Juan,  at  the  head  of  some 
cavalry,  to  recapture  him,  and  believed  that  this  would 
be  an  easy  matter.  Three  days  passed,  and  then,  early  one 
morning,  Hernando  was  awakened  hurriedly  and  told  that 
thousands  of  Indians  were  gathering  to  besiege  the  city. 
Quickly  dressing,  he  mounted  his  horse,  and  with  his  officers 
he  rode  through  the  great  street  which  led  to  the  north. 
As  they  passed  along  they  saw  that  almost  all  the  small, 
mean  houses  of  the  suburbs  were  deserted. 

"  How  is  this  ?  "  asked  Hernando,  of  his  lieutenant,  de 
Rojas,  who  rode  at  his  side.  "  Yesterday  these  streets 
and  houses  swarmed  with  Indians." 

"  It  is  all  part  of  the  plot,"  returned  the  cavalier.  "  Our 
friendly  Indians  have  learned  that  for  weeks  all  the  people 
of  Cuzco  have  been  ready  to  rise,  and  the  flight  of  the  Inca 
was  the  signal." 

It  was  true.  Save  for  a  few  families  who  were  faithful 
to  the  Spaniards,  the  whole  population  had  stolen  silently 
away  during  the  past  two  days.  Many  had  hidden  their 
wealth,  but  left  their  other  possessions  in  their  houses,  and 
with  their  women  and  children  had  fled. 

"  You  will  find  the  men  in  their  thousands  outside  the 
city,"  said  de  Rojas.  ''The  women  and  children  are 
doubtless  hidden  in  the  mountains." 


221 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

Arriving  at  the  end  of  the  long  road,  where  the  houses 
ended  and  the  country  lay  before  them,  Hernando  saw 
that  the  great  plain  was  covered,  at  the  distance  of  a  few 
hundred  feet,  with  a  mighty  host  which  reached  as  far  as 
the  eye  could  see.  The  dusky  lines  of  the  Indian  battalions 
stretched  out  to  the  very  verge  of  the  Cordilleras  in  the 
distance  ;  while,  all  around  could  be  seen,  above  their 
heads,  the  crests  and  waving  bamiers  of  chieftains.  Long 
lances  and  battle-axes  edged  with  copper  leaped  up  when 
the  cavaliers  were  perceived,  and,  amid  cries  and  calls  of 
defiance,  were  tossed  to  and  fro  in  confusion,  flashing  in 
the  light  of  the  rising  sun. 

That  evening  Juan  Pizarro  returned  from  his  vain 
pursuit  of  the  Inca.  He  had  been  opposed  at  the  crossing 
of  a  river  by  a  great  host  of  Indians,  and,  after  fighting  for 
some  hours,  had  been  glad  to  rest,  having  made  but  little 
headway  against  the  enemy.  Then  a  messenger  from 
Hernando  had  recalled  him  ;  he  had  led  the  way  back, 
closely  followed  by  the  victorious  Indians.  Coming  to  the 
besieging  host  encamped  about  the  city  he  had  been 
allowed  to  pass  through  without  attack,  since  the  Peruvians 
knew  that  the  greater  the  number  of  Spaniards  cooped  up 
in  the  city,  the  sooner  would  they  know  the  pangs  of  famine. 

When  all  the  Spanish  forces  were  united,  they  did  not 
exceed  two  hundred,  horse  and  foot,  besides  some  Indians, 
who  had  been  their  allies  from  the  very  beginning  of  the 
conquest.  These  belonged  to  a  northern  tribe  named 
the  Canyares,  who  had  been  only  recently  conquered  by 
the  Incas,  and  therefore  had  welcomed  the  Spaniards  as 
allies.    These  men  numbered  about  a  thousand. 

At  night  the  fires  of  the  besieging  Indians  were  seen  to 
encircle  the  city  like  an  infinite  number  of  stars  gleaming 
along  the  plain,  and  far  up  on  the  slopes  of  the  hills.     Be- 

222 


The   Rebellion  of  the   Indians 

fore  these  fires  had  paled  in  the  rising  sun,  the  Spaniards 
were  awakened  by  the  calls  of  their  sentries  and  by  the 
hideous  yells  of  the  Indians  who,  rushing  down  the  streets 
of  the  suburbs,  came  near  to  the  great  square  where  the 
Spaniards  were  encamped,  and  threw  arrows  and  javelins 
among  them.  These  did  little  damage,  but  other  missiles 
did  more  serious  execution. 

They  tied  burning  cotton  to  the  heads  of  spears  and 
arrows,  and  shot  these  upon  the  roofs  of  the  buildings, 
which  were  all,  without  exception,  merely  thatched.  In  a 
moment  fire  burst  out  upon  the  roofs,  and  on  all  sides  of  the 
city  the  flames  roared  and  leaped.  The  woodwork  in  the 
interior  of  the  houses  soon  caught,  and  there  being  a  high 
wind,  whole  quarters  of  the  city  were  soon  in  flames,  the 
roar  of  the  flames  and  the  cracking  and  hissing  of  timbers 
contributing  to  the  horror  of  the  situation. 

In  the  face  of  such  a  far-spread  conflagration  the 
Spaniards  could  do  nothing.  Standing  as  they  were  in 
the  centre  of  the  great  square,  while  most  of  the  buildings 
about  them  were  in  flames,  they  were  protected  from  the 
heat  in  a  great  measure  by  the  space  which  surrounded 
them  on  all  sides.  When,  however,  a  gust  of  wind  drove 
the  heat  and  smoke  among  them,  they  were  almost  suffo- 
cated, and  had  much  ado  to  quiet  their  horses,  who  were 
driven  half  wild  by  the  heat,  the  glare  and  the  smoke. 

At  night  it  seemed  to  the  Spaniards  as  if  they  stood  in 
a  small  space  in  the  very  midst  of  a  blazing  pit,  and  the 
red  light  in  the  sky,  piercing  through  great  rolling  volumes 
of  black  smoke,  only  lit  up  the  terror  on  each  face  and 
showed  the  dry  lips  muttering  prayers. 

For  three  days  the  fire  raged  and  roared,  and  when  at 
last  the  flames  found  nothing  to  devour,  there  remained 
in  the  centre  of  the  city  little  more  than  the  lower  stone 

223 


The   Conquerors   of  Peru 

walls  of  the  great  palaces  of  the  Infcas  and  their  nobles  in 
the  neighbourhood  of  the  great  square,  besides  the  Temple 
of  the  Sun  and  the  Convent  of  the  Virgins  of  the  Sun. 
Tliese  latter  buildings  were  isolated,  and  thus,  as  by  a 
miracle,  escaped  destruction.  Of  the  nineteen  thousand 
houses  of  which  the  whole  city  was  composed  when  the 
conquerors  entered  it,  there  now  remained  but  three  or 
four  thousand,  which  owed  their  escape  to  the  fact  that  the 
wind  did  not  blow  the  flames  toward  the  quarter  in  which 
they  were  situated. 

The  Spaniards,  however,  did  not  remain  idle.  Even 
while  the  city  was  in  flames  they  pushed  their  way  through 
some  of  the  streets  which  were  not  swept  by  the  flames,  and, 
bursting  out  upon  the  Indian  host,  killed  hundreds  of  them 
with  lance,  sword  and  harquebus.  Again  and  again,  as  the 
days  went  by,  the  Spaniards  thus  attacked  them,  but  so 
multitudinous  were  the  hordes  of  the  enemy  that  though 
thousands  were  slain,  thousands  more  came  undauntedly 
to  the  attack. 

Sometimes,  as  the  Spaniards  rode  among  the  ruins  of 
the  still  smoking  streets,  Lidians  in  ambush  would  leap 
at  them  with  horrible  yells,  and  with  bow  and  arrow,  spear 
and  sling,  would  wound  or  slay.  The  lasso  was  employed 
with  great  skill  in  the  hands  of  the  Peruvians,  and  many  a 
cavalier  found  the  dreadful  cord  about  his  body,  and  before 
he  could  cry  for  help,  he  would  be  dashed  from  his  horse 
and  his  head  would  be  sheared  from  his  shoulders. 

Many  weeks  went  by,  yet  the  enemy  did  not  weaken 
in  the  stubborn  siege,  and  the  Spaniards  wondered  why 
Pizarro  at  Lima  did  not  send  reinforcements.  Then  a 
friendly  Indian  crept  through  the  hordes  of  encircling 
Peruvians,  and  told  them  that  the  rising  was  general 
throughout  the  land,  that  Lima  and  Truxillo  and  the  other 

224 


Whole  quarters  of  the   city  were  soon   in  flames 


224 


The  Rebellion  of  the   Indians 

Spanish  cities  were  also  besieged,  and  must  soon  fall  into 
the  hands  of  the  enemy  ;  that  the  Indians  were  in  posses- 
sion of  the  passes,  so  that  no  relief  could  come  to  them,  and 
they  must  therefore  vanquish  their  enemies  themselves  or 
perish  in  the  attempt. 

Some  believed  this  dismal  story,  others  affected  to  think 
that  it  was  exaggerated  ;  but  one  morning,  in  the  dull  light, 
the  sentries  in  the  plaza  saw  several  dark  objects  rolling 
toward  them  as  if  thrown  from  the  direction  of  a  street 
opening.  When  they  examined  them,  to  their  grief  they 
found  that  they  were  the  heads  of  some  of  their  fellow- 
countrymen.  They  carried  them  to  the  camp,  where  their 
comrades  slept  beside  their  horses,  and  some  of  the  horri- 
fied soldiers  recognized  the  heads  as  those  of  men  they  had 
known.  This  one  was  that  of  Alonzo  de  Rieda,  who  had 
gone  to  live  on  a  plantation  which  had  been  given  to  him, 
another  was  that  of  Garcia  Pomba,  an  old  soldier,  one 
of  the  garrison  at  Xauxa,  and  so  on.  All  were  soon  re- 
cognized as  those  of  Spaniards  who  had  been  massacred 
either  on  their  solitary  farms  or  plantations,  or  slain  at 
the  siege  of  some  neighbouring  garrison. 

Week  after  week  rolled  by,  bringing  no  relief  to  the 
beleaguered  Spaniards,  who  now  began  to  feel  the  pinch 
of  famine.  Water  they  could  always  get,  from  the  river 
running  through  the  city  ;  but  to  obtain  provisions  they 
had  to  send  out  a  band  of  cavaliers,  who  had  to  cut  their 
way  through  the  besieging  hordes,  and  then,  having 
captured  some  llamas,  or  wrested  supplies  of  grain  from 
a  village,  they  had  to  fight  their  way  back  again.  Every 
such  foray  cost  the  lives  of  Spaniards,  though  a  much 
heavier  loss  was  inflicted  on  the  Indians. 

The  siege  had  lasted  from  February  to  August,  and 
daily  the  Spaniards,  lessened  in  numbers  by  the  losses 
p  225 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

suffered  in  every  attack  on  the  Indians,  and  weak  from 
famine,  feared  that  by  a  simultaneous  attack  on  all  sides, 
they  would  be  wiped  out  of  existence  by  the  sheer  weight 
of  numbers. 

Suddenly,  one  day,  some  of  the  friendly  Indians  came 
running  from  their  posts  of  observation  in  the  ruins  of 
the  suburbs,  crying  out  that  the  Peruvians  were  going 
away.  It  was  indeed  true.  The  forces  of  the  Inca  had 
themselves  been  feeling  the  pinch  of  famine,  and  as  the 
season  for  planting  had  now  approached,  young  Manco 
saw  that  dire  famine  would  stalk  through  the  land  unless 
he  disbanded  most  of  his  men  and  sent  them  to  plant  their 
fields.  He  therefore  ordered  them  to  their  homes,  telling 
them  to  return  to  resume  the  siege  when  their  labours  in 
the  field  were  finished.  He  kept  a  large  body  with  him- 
self, and  others  were  left  to  keep  observation  on  Cuzco  and 
to  cut  off  supplies  to  the  Spaniards. 

The  Spaniards,  overjoyed  to  see  their  enemy  melting 
away,  signalized  the  event  by  issuing  forth  on  a  foray,  and 
so  successful  were  they  that  they  captured,  from  the  sur- 
rounding Indian  villages,  two  thousand  head  of  sheep,  which 
they  succeeded  in  driving  into  Cuzco,  in  spite  of  the 
attempts  of  the  enemy  to  cut  them  off 


226 


CHAPTER   XV 

The  Quarrel  of  Almagro  and  Pizarro 

WHILE  these  events  were  taking  place  in  Peru, 
Almagro  was  pushing  on  toward  the  conquest 
of  Chili.  During  the  first  part  of  the  way,  he 
travelled  along  the  highway  of  the  Incas  which  stretched 
across  the  tableland  on  which  they  were  marching.  When 
this  ended,  the  road  gave  place  to  the  almost  tractless  ways 
of  the  mountains.  Deep  and  rugged  ravines  broke  across 
his  path,  round  whose  sides  his  company  had  to  travel  by 
a  narrow  sheep  track  which  wound  ever  upward  to  a  dizzy 
height  over  the  abysses  of  the  mountain.  Dark  forests 
of  pine  would  encompass  them  at  one  place,  then  the  wide 
and  rocky  plateaus  would  open  before  them  where,  without 
a  bush  or  a  shrub  to  shelter  them,  the  icy  blast  from  the 
snowfields  high  above  them  would  sweep  about  the  shiver- 
ing travellers. 

So  intense  was  the  cold  that  many  lost  the  nails  of  their 
fingers  from  frost-bite,  others  lost  the  fingers  themselves, 
and  one  or  two  had  to  have  their  limbs  amputated. 
Others  were  blinded  by  the  snow-glare.  The  Indian  allies 
especially  suffered,  for  their  thin  clothing,  made  only  for 
the  genial  plains,  was  totally  unfitted  for  these  rigorous 
altitudes. 

Famine-stricken,  the  wretched  Spaniards  had  finally  to 
have  recourse  to  the  flesh  of  their  horses.  Many  of  these 
creatures,  frozen  to  death  during  the   night,  were  cut 

227 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

up  in  the  morning  to  afford  meals  to  their  famishing 
masters. 

Their  own  sufferings,  however,  did  not  soften  the  hearts 
of  the  Spanish  cavaliers,  for  their  line  of  march  in  the 
valleys  was  marked  by  burning  villages,  sorrowing  natives 
and  desolated  fields.  Men  and  women  were  chained  in 
gangs  of  ten  or  twelve,  and  compelled  to  carry  the  baggage 
of  the  conquerors  until,  in  sheer  exhaustion,  they  fell  and 
died  upon  the  road.  Almagro  was  not  the  stern  disciplin- 
arian that  Pizarro  was  ;  it  was  a  saying  among  the  con- 
querors of  Peru  that  not  one  of  the  latter  general's  men 
would  have  dared  pluck  an  ear  of  maize  against  his 
command  ;  but  though  Almagro  looked  with  displeasure 
on  the  cruel  treatment  of  the  Indians  by  his  own  men,  he 
did  not  repress  it. 

At  length  the  "  men  of  Chili,"  as  Almagro's  band  was 
called,  reached  the  genial  valley  of  Coquimbo,  where,  after 
their  sufferings,  they  rested  to  refresh  themselves. 
Almagro  then  sent  a  detachment  under  one  of  his  officers 
to  advance  farther  to  the  south,  to  report  on  the  land  and 
the  people  there.  Soon  afterwards  he  himself  was  joined 
by  his  lieutenant,  Orgoiiez,  who  had  been  left  behind  at 
Cuzco  to  beat  up  more  recruits. 

The  lieutenant  }:»rought  with  him  the  royal  warrant, 
addressed  to  Almagro,  giving  him  the  rank  of  marshal  and 
granting  him  territories  extending  two  hundred  leagxies 
south  of  those  given  to  Pizarro.  When  he  communicated 
the  terms  of  this  document  to  his  soldiers,  they  clamoured 
to  be  led  back  to  Peru. 

"  We  don't  need  to  wander  in  this  icy  wilderness,"  they 
said,  "  when  Cuzco  is  yours,  as  it  undoubtedly  is.  Better 
get  back  to  comfortable  quarters  there  than  wander  like 
outcasts  in  these  wastes  where  there  is  no  gold." 

228 


A  Quarrel 

His  men  thought  of  another  argument  to  turn  their 
leader's  mind  in  the  direction  of  Cuzco.  Almagro  had  an 
only  son,  named  Diego,  of  whom  he  was  excessively  fond. 
This  youth  was  still  at  Cuzco. 

"  It  is  only,"  they  said,  "  by  returning  to  Cuzco  and 
looking  after  your  interests  there  that  you  will  be  able  to 
provide  for  your  son,  who  at  present  has  no  future  befitting 
his  rank." 

When  the  officer  who  had  been  sent  to  the  south  re- 
turned, saying  that  there  were  no  rich  towns  there  to  make 
the  conquest  worth  their  while,  Almagro  was  quite  willing 
to  fall  in  with  the  wishes  of  his  soldiers. 

To  the  Spaniards  who  had  seen  the  golden  treasures  of 
Peru,  any  other  land  which  did  not  offer  riches  as  great 
and  as  easily  obtainable  was  a  country  not  worth  regard. 
The  advance  into  Chili  had  been  made  over  land  which 
bore  in  its  rocks  some  of  the  richest  minerals  in  the  world  ; 
but  the  Spaniards,  drunk  with  the  lust  for  gold,  were  too 
impatient  or  too  ignorant  to  look  closely.  Having,  as 
they  thought,  journeyed  very  near  to  the  end  of  the 
world,  and  found  nothing  there  but  desolate  rocks  and 
savage  natives,  they  turned  back  from  the  uninviting 
land. 

It  was  resolved  that  the  return  should  not  be  made  by 
the  way  they  came,  through  the  mountains,  but,  marching 
to  the  coast,  they  turned  north  when  they  came  to  the  sea, 
and  hoped  to  find  an  easy  way  back  through  green  valleys. 
They  found,  however,  that,  as  they  went  northwards,  they 
marched  deeper  and  deeper  into  a  dreary  desert,  a  waste 
of  sand,  with  hardly  a  green  spot  anywhere .  to  ■  rest  the 
wearied  eye. 

This  was  the  desert  of  a  Atacama,  which  stretched  for 
nearly  a  hundred  leagues  in  a  series  of  wide,  sandy  ridges, 

229 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

encrusted  with  salt.  Under  their  feet,  unknown  to  them, 
lay  mineral  wealth  in  the  shape  of  silver,  copper  and 
nitrate  ;  but  as  their  weary  steps  carried  them  up  the 
slopes  of  successive  ridges  their  aching  eyes  strained  for- 
ward for  a  sight  of  the  green  fields  of  Peru,  and  the  sparkle 
of  clear  streams. 

Their  sufferings  in  this  terrible  desolation  were  almost 
as  severe  as  those  they  had  undergone  on  the  southward 
march  through  the  mountains,  but  at  length  they  reached 
the  town  of  Arequipa,  situated  about  sixty  leagues  west 
of  Cuzco.  Here  Almagro  learnt  of  the  insurrection  of  the 
Peruvians  and  of  the  result,  and  resolved  to  push  on  to 
Cuzco  and  to  insist  on  his  claims  to  assume  the  govern- 
ment and  to  thrust  out  Hernando  Pizarro. 

Having  arrived,  therefore,  at  a  place  named  Urcos,  some 
six  leagues  from  Cuzco,  he  sent  officers  to  Cuzco  with  a 
copy  of  his  royal  grant,  which  they  were  to  submit  to  the 
mayor  and  principal  town  officials,  with  the  demand  that 
they  should  recognize  him  as  the  governor.  The  muni- 
cipal officers  replied  that  they  would  require  time  to  con- 
sider the  matter,  since  there  seemed  to  be  some  doubt 
whether  Cuzco  did  really  come  within  the  boundary  laid 
down  by  the  royal  grant  to  Almagro  ;  and,  meanwhile, 
they  proposed  that  Almagro  should  agree  to  a  truce  and 
should  not  come  nearer  to  the  town. 

This  was  arranged  between  the  parties ;  but  Almagro 
had  been  but  a  few  days  in  his  quarters  when  one  of  his 
soldiers  rushed  into  his  room,  and  said  : 

"  Seiior,  we  are  betrayed  !  The  truce  they  made  with 
you  has  been  made  to  blind  you.  I  have  but  just  come 
from  Cuzco.  Hernando  Pizarro  is  fortifying  the  city,  and 
the  marquis  is  sending  from  Lima  a  body  of  men  under 
Alvarado  to  strengthen  the  forces  under  Hernando  !  " 

230 


A   Quarrel 

**  Is  this  so  ?  "  cried  Almagro,  starting  up  angrily. 
"  Then,  by  Saint  Jago,  I  stay  here  not  another  hour." 

He  gave  instant  orders  to  prepare  for  marching,  and  as 
soon  as  it  was  dark,  he  led  his  men  on  the  road  toward 
Cuzco.  It  was  in  the  winter  season,  and  the  rain  fell  in 
a  deluge  as  they  rode  along  the  track.  It  was  late  when 
they  reached  the  city,  which  they  found  was  sunk  in  sleep. 
Creeping  quietly  up  one  of  the  roads  leading  into  the  great 
square,  Almagro  set  strong  parties  of  cavalry  at  the  head 
of  each  avenue,  so  as  to  prevent  a  surprise  by  the  garrison. 

Then,  selecting  a  number  of  men,  he  bade  Orgoiiez,  his 
lieutenant,  take  these  and  force  the  dwelling  of  Hernando 
Pizarro. 

"Take  him  captive,"  he  said,  "and  lodge  him  under 
close  guard.     You  will  answer  for  his  security."' 

Thereupon  Orgoiiez  went  off  in  the  darkness  and  the 
rain  across  the  plaza  to  one  of  the  great  halls  of  the  Incas, 
where  Hernando  Pizarro  was  lodging  with  his  brother 
Gonzalo.  Immense  wooden  doors  opened  on  the  plaza, 
and  Orgoiiez  ordered  his  rAen  to  take  up  their  positions 
very  quietly.  With  them  they  had  a  great  baulk  of  timber 
which  they  had  snatched  up  from  before  a  house  which 
was  being  rebuilt  after  the  fire. 

Poising  this,  at  a  quiet  word  from  Orgoiiez,  the  men 
dashed  it  with  all  their  might  at  the  lock  of  the  door, 
which  gave  way  before  the  crashing  blow.  Instantly 
from  the  dark  interior  a  torch  flamed  up  from  the  embers 
of  a  fire,  and  some  twenty  soldiers  were  found  snatching 
up  their  weapons.  The  men  of  Chili  threw  themselves 
upon  the  men  of  the  Pizarros,  and  a  sharp  hand-to-hand 
struggle  began. 

The  Cuzco  men  were  stout  fighters,  and  would  not  give 
way.     Already  one  or  two  on  either  side  were  killed  or 

231 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

wounded,  and  Orgofiez,  angry  at  the  long  resistance,  picked 
up  a  torch,  and,  leaping  on  a  chair,  he  held  the  flame  against 
the  thatch  of  the  roof,  which  instantly  began  to  bum. 
Speedily  the  whole  roof  was  on  fire,  and  pieces  of  the 
thatch  and  the  rafters  began  to  fall  among  the  Pizarros 
and  their  men  at  the  far  end  of  the  room. 

Outside  the  doorway  stood  Orgofiez  and  his  men,  ready 
to  thrust  their  countrymen  back  into  the  flames  should 
they  attempt  to  burst  out. 

"  Surrender  !  "  cried  the  harsh  voice  of  Orgonez,  "  or 
you  die  like  rats  in  a  burning  house." 

The  men  could  be  heard  urging  the  two  Pizarros  to 
yield,  while  the  burning  rafters  had  already  set  the  clothes 
of  some  of  them  alight,  and  the  wood  of  the  walls  was 
burning  beside  them. 

At  length  Hernando  Pizarro  stepped  forward  to  the 
doorway,  and  in  silence  threw  down  his  sword  at  the  feet 
of  Orgofiez,  his  face  dark  with  rage.  Then,  folding  his 
arms,  he  awaited  the  cords  with  which  he  was  instantly 
bound.  Gonzalo,  his  brother,  followed  with  the  soldiers, 
and  all  gave  themselves  up  in  unconditional  surrender. 
As  the  last  man  stepped  from  the  building,  the  whole  roof 
fell  in  with  a  tremendous  crash,  dashing  blazing  wood  in 
the  midst  of  the  captors  and  the  captives,  and  forcing 
them  to  retreat  from  the  terrible  heat. 

No  further  resistance  anywhere  was  made  to  Almagro's 
demands,  and  having  placed  the  two  Pizarros  under  a 
strong  guard  he  felt  himself  almost  secure.  There  was, 
however,  still  one  other  man  to  reckon  with — Alvarado, 
the  commander  whom  Francisco  Pizarro  had  sent.  He 
now  lay  with  five  hundred  men  at  Xauxa,  some  thirteen 
leagues  from  the  capital. 

Almagro  at  once  sent  three  officers  to  him  with  a  message 

232 


A    Quarrel 

telling  of  his  possession  of  the  city,  and  requiring  Alvarado 
to  come  in  and  acknowledge  him  as  the  master  of  Cuzco. 
The  only  reply  which  Alvarado  gave  was  to  put  the 
officers  in  irons  as  traitors  to  the  governor,  and  to  send 
news  of  what  had  happened  to  the  Marquis  Pizarro 
at  Lima. 

On  hearing  what  had  been  done,  Almagro  called  his 
lieutenant  to  him  and  bade  him  prepare  at  once  to  march 
against  Alvarado. 

"  By  the  Virgin  !  "  he  said  wrathfully,  "  I  will  bring 
this  cavalier  to  reason." 

"  Ay,"  replied  Orgofiez,  "  you  will  do  that  easily.  But 
you  leave  behind  you  here  enemies  whom  you  ought  to 
deal  with  before  you  move  a  step  farther." 

"  Enemies  ?    What  mean  you  ?  " 

"  I  mean  the  two  Pizarros,"  returned  the  grim  soldier. 
"  What  do  you  intend  to  do  with  them  ?  " 

"They  will  be  useful,"  said  Almagro,  "when  I  and 
FVancisco  are  dealing  with  each  other.  They  are  host- 
ages." 

"  They  are  dangerous  hostages,"  said  Orgonez.  "  I 
tell  you,  Almagro,  you  are  mad  to  keep  them  alive.  Your 
own  life  will  never  be  safe  unless  you  strike  off  their  heads. 
Dead  men  never  bite,  but  while  they  are  alive  they  are 
dangerous." 

"  Nay,  nay,"  replied  Almagro.  "  You  are  too  hard, 
Rodrigo.  I  hate  Hernando,  but  he  has  done  naught  to 
deserve  that." 

This  was  not  the  only  reason  which  moved  Almagro 
not  to  proceed  to  the  extremity  advised  by  Orgoiiez. 
Such  a  deed  would  for  ever  sever  the  ties  of  friendship 
which,  in  spite  of  all  that  had  happened,  still  existed 
between  himself  and  his  old  friend  Francisco  Pizarro. 

233 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

'*  Never  fear,"  he  went  on  ;  "  they  shall  be  safely 
guarded.     And  now,  we  will  set  out  to  meet  Alvarado." 

Before  Orgofiez  could  reply,  a  knock  sounded  at  the 
door  and  a  soldier  entered. 

"  Sefior,"  he  said,  addressing  Almagro,  "  an  Indian 
desires  to  give  you  a  letter." 

The  Indian  was  bidden  to  enter,  and  from  the  folds  of 
his  voluminous  blanket  he  produced  a  letter.  Almagro 
tore  it  open,  and  gave  it  to  Orgonez  to  read,  for  he  could 
not  read  himself.  Orgofiez  glanced  at  it,  and  a  smile 
spread  over  his  grim  features.  He  dismissed  the  Indian 
with  a  present,  and  then,  turning  to  Almagro,  said  : 

"  It  is  from  Pedro  de  Lerma.  He  has  ever  been  jealous 
that  Alvarado  should  be  set  above  him  ;  he  desires  us  to 
march  against  the  commander,  and  he  will  send  us  word 
how  best  to  make  our  attack." 

"Good!"  said  Almagro,  with  a  laugh.  "I  thought 
I  had  friends  with  Alvarado's  force." 

Instantly  the  main  force  of  Almagro 's  men  prepared  to 
march,  and  the  leader,  putting  himself  at  their  head, 
made  rapid  progress  towards  Xauxa.  He  reached  the 
river  Abancay,  a  mile  or  two  from  the  city,  late  in  the 
afternoon,  and  found  that  Alvarado  had  taken  up  his 
position  in  front  of  a  bridge,  while  a  strong  detachment 
occupied  a  spot  commanding  a  ford  lower  do"\Mi  the  river. 

Already  Almagro  had  received  the  promised  letter  from 
de  Lerma,  and  following  that  cavalier's  advice,  he  took 
up  his  position  on  the  bank  in  front  of  Alvarado,  as  if 
prepared  to  force  a  passage  over  the  bridge.  When 
darkness  set  in,  however,  he  detached  a  large  body  under 
Orgofiez  to  go  lower  down  and  pass  the  ford.  This  was 
accordingly  done.  Orgofiez  led  his  men  across  the  river 
in  the  darkness,  though  several  of  his  men  were  carried 

234 


A  Quarrel 

away  by  the  swift  current  and  drowned.  As  they  gained 
the  opposite  bank,  the  sentinels  of  the  force  posted  there 
gave  warning,  and  the  landing  of  Orgofiez  was  contested, 
he  himself  being  wounded  in  the  mouth.  Nothing 
daunted,  however,  he  cheered  on  his  men,  and  fell  furi- 
ously upon  the  enemy. 

The  struggle  did  not  last  long,  however,  for  de  Lerma 
and  some  of  the  men  cried  out  that  they  were  for  Almagro, 
thus  casting  their  loyal  comrades  into  complete  confusion. 

Hearing  the  noise  of  battle  in  this  quarter,  Alvarado 
hastened  to  the  spot  with  most  of  his  men.  As  soon  as  he 
left  the  bridge,  Almagro  rushed  his  own  force  across  it, 
and,  dispersing  the  small  body  of  men  left  to  defend  it, 
he  hurried  after  Alvarado.  That  general,  attacked  in  the 
front  by  Orgofiez  and  in  the  rear  by  Almagro,  found  him- 
self hemmed  in  on  all  sides.  He  had  nothing  left  to  do 
but  to  surrender.  Having  passed  the  night  on  the  spot, 
Almagro  returned  next  day  in  triumph  to  Cuzco  with  an 
array  of  prisoners  which  equalled  his  own  forces  in  numbers. 

\Vhen,  in  the  course  of  a  few  days,  Pizarro  learned  what 
had  happened,  he  hurriedly  began  to  fortify  Lima,  fearing 
that  Almagro,  flushed  with  his  rapid  successes,  might 
descend  in  force  upon  him.  While  making  these  warlike 
preparations,  however,  Pizarro  also  tried  the  effects  of 
friendly  negotiation,  and  therefore  sent  a  man  who  was 
known  both  to  himself  and  Almagro  to  endeavour  to 
arrange  a  peace. 

Owing  to  the  death  of  the  intermediary,  however,  soon 
after  his  arrival  at  Cuzco,  these  attempts  failed  ;  and 
Almagro  then  determined  to  march  to  the  sea -coast  with 
a  sufficient  number  of  his  men  to  found  a  seaport  there, 
thus  securing  communication  with  Spain  independently 
of  Lima. 

235 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

Before  doing  this,  however,  he  sent  Orgofiez  with  a 
strong  body  of  men,  to  disperse  the  forces  of  the  Inca, 
who  still  lay  some  distance  from  Cuzco,  in  a  fortified  camp. 
By  this  time  the  Penivians  had  almost  all  deserted  their 
king,  and,  on  the  approach  of  Orgofiez,  the  Inca  fled  with 
a  few  followers  into  the  mountains.  Orgofiez,  however, 
hotly  pursued  him,  until  the  Inca,  deserted  by  all  his  men, 
was  left  alone  with  one  of  his  wives,  and,  having  fled  to  the 
most  inaccessible  part  of  the  Andes,  baffled  all  the  attempts 
of  Orgofiez  to  discover  him. 

As,  however,  there  was  now  little  fear  that  the  Peruvians 
would  attempt  to  rise  against  the  city  during  his  absence, 
Almagro  prepared  to  leave  Cuzco  and  proceed  to  the  coast. 
In  the  council  which  he  held  with  Orgofiez  and  his  second 
officer,  a  man  named  Diego  de  Alvarado,  before  beginning 
his  march,  the  question  of  what  should  be  done  with  the 
prisoners  came  up  for  decision. 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  when  you  get  to  the  coast  ?  " 
asked  Orgofiez. 

"  If  Pizarro  wishes  to  make  terms  with  me,"  said  Al- 
magro, "  he  may  come  to  me  wherever  I  may  be.  I  shall 
not  go  to  seek  him." 

"  Do  you  think  that  by  any  treaty  you  may  make  with 
Pizarro  you  will  now  escape  his  plotting  for  your  ruin  ?  " 
asked  Orgofiez. 

"  There  is  plot  and  counterplot,"  replied  Almagro 
blusteringly.  "  Think  you  I  fear  Pizarro  and  his 
plots  ?  " 

"  I  have  no  doubt,"  said  Almagro's  second  officer,  who 
sat  with  him,  "  that  the  marquis  will  honourably  hold  by 
any  treaty  he  may  make." 

Orgofiez  looked  at  the  speaker  with  a  scornful  smile. 
He  was  perfectly  aware  of  the  noble  qualities  of  his  com- 

236 


A  Quarrel 

rade,  but  he  knew  that  in  the  rough  world  of  the  conquerors 
the  finer  feelings  which  Don  Diego  expressed  were  mis- 
understood. Don  Diego,  though  of  the  same  name,  was  no 
relation  to  the  Alonso  de  Alvarado  whom  Almagro  now 
held  a  prisoner.  He  was  a  cavalier  of  good  birth,  and  with 
the  chivalrous  instincts  of  a  true  knight. 

"  As  for  me,"  said  Orgonez,  in  reply  to  the  sentiment 
of  Don  Diego,  "  I  know  that  Pizarro  will  abide  by  a 
treaty — but  only  if  it  is  to  his  advantage.  I  tell  you, 
Almagro,  you  have  stirred  up  the  rage  of  a  bitter  man  by 
what  you  have  already  done.  He  will  not  strike  until  he 
is  quite  ready,  and  it  is  quite  possible  that,  if  he  makes  a 
treaty  with  you,  you  will  think  that  everything  is  forgotten 
and  that  you  are  close  friends  once  more.  But  I  tell  you 
that  you  would  do  better  to  strike  off  the  heads  of  Her- 
nando and  Gonzalo  at  once,  and  then  march  on  Lima  with 
every  man  you  can  muster,  and  stake  all  on  pulling  doA\'n 
Francisco." 

"  Out  upon  such  counsel  !  "  cried  Don  Diego,  his  face 
flushed  with  anger.  "  Think  you,  Don  Rodrigo,  that  you 
deal  with  savages  ?  I  tell  you  that  I  would  answer  with 
my  life  for  the  fidelity  of  the  three  Pizarros." 

"  Yes,  yes,"  said  Almagro,  "  I  think  you  are  too  bitter 
against  them.     You  suspect  too  much.  ' 

"  I  don't  suspect  anything,"  said  Orgonez  grimly,  "  but 
I  know  the  Pizarros." 

"  But,  seiior,  think !  "  cried  Alvarado,  turning  to  Al- 
magro. "  Such  a  deed  would  raise  the  country  against 
you.  Every  honourable  man  would  turn  from  a  party 
which  resorted  to  such  a  violent  crime,  and  such  indignation 
would  arise  in  the  Court  of  Spain  that  your  fortunes  would 
be  utterly  ruined." 

"  You  say  truth,  Diego,"  replied  Almagro.     "  'Twould 

237 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

be  a  death  they  have  not  merited,  and  the  Court  would  of  a 
surety  deprive  me  of  everything." 

"  I  tell  you  that  you  are  too  soft  a  man  for  Francisco 
Pizarro,"  said  Orgonez,  his  stern  face  flushed  with  annoy- 
ance at  finding  his  leader  reject  his  counsel  so  completely. 
"  The  day  will  come  when  you  will  repent  your  mistaken 
softness.  A  Pizarro  has  never  been  known  to  forget  an 
injury  ;  and  that  which  you  have  already  done  is  too  deep 
a  wrong  to  be  forgiven.  You  will  remember  my  words 
when  it  is  too  late  !  " 

Saying  these  words,  Orgonez  arose  and  strode  from  the 
room.  In  another  hour  Almagro,  placing  himself  at  the 
head  of  his  army,  began  his  march  to  the  coast. 

He  took  Hernando  Pizarro  with  him,  closely  guarded, 
and  left  orders  that  the  other  prisoners  should  be  kept  in 
strict  confinement  during  his  absence. 

When  he  arrived  at  the  coast,  he  selected  a  spot  in  the 
pleasant  valley  of  Chincha,  where  he  busied  himself  in 
laying  out  the  plan  of  a  town,  which,  in  time,  should  rival 
the  size,  beauty  and  importance  of  Lima,  his  rival's  city. 
He  called  it  Almagro,  after  himself,  and  thus  made  it  a 
standing  defiance  to  his  competitor. 

A  few  weeks  were  occupied  in  this  way,  and  then  a 
messenger  came  from  Cuzco  with  the  news  that  Gonzalo 
Pizarro  and  Alonso  de  Alvarado  had  escaped  from  prison, 
and  were  now  hastening  with  all  speed  to  the  cump  of  the 
marquis. 

Li  his  first  fury  at  this  news  it  might  have  gone  hard 
with  Hernando  ;  but  while  considering  the  best  course 
open  to  him,  an  embassy  came  from  Francisco  Pizarro 
suggesting  the  terms  of  a  peaceful  arrangement  between 
them. 

Almagro,  who  was  not  of  a  nature  to  keep  his  anger  long, 

238 


A  Quarrel 

was  quite  ready  to  resume  negotiations.  Finally,  Pizarro 
proposed  that  the  dispute,  which  was  mainly  a  question 
of  boundaries  between  their  respective  territories,  should 
be  submitted  to  the  arbitration  of  a  learned  priest  whose 
name  was  Francisco  de  Bovadilla.  He  was  living  at  Lima, 
and  though  a  friend  of  Pizarro's,  he  had  a  wide  reputation 
for  justice  and  honesty. 

It  was  proposed,  therefore,  that  all  the  parties  should 
meet  at  the  little  seaport  town  of  Mala,  north  of  Chincha, 
that  the  priest  should  hear  both  sides,  and  should  then 
make  his  award  between  them. 

The  interview  between  Almagro  and  Pizarro  took  place 
on  the  13th  November  1537.  Almagro  rode  into  the  town 
at  the  head  of  a  few  cavaliers,  and,  leaving  them  outside 
the  house  of  the  chief  of  the  village,  where  the  meeting 
was  to  be  held,  entered  with  but  two  officers.  In  a  few 
moments,  from  the  opposite  direction,  came  Pizarro  and 
his  band.  Their  leader  gravely  acknowledged  the  salute 
of  Orgoiiez,  who  was  at  the  head  of  Almagro 's  supporters, 
and  then  entered  the  apartment  where  Almagro  was 
waiting. 

The  latter,  who  was  talking  with  several  Spanish  gentle- 
men as  Pizarro  entered,  doffed  his  bonnet  and  advanced 
with  a  smile  and  an  outstretched  hand  to  meet  his  old 
friend.  But  Pizarro,  drawing  himself  up,  hardly  returned 
his  greeting,  and  would  not  give  his  hand. 

"  What  madness,"  he  said,  looking  with  haughty  glances 
and  cold  eyes,  "  has  led  you  to  seize  my  city  of  Cuzco  with 
force  and  to  imprison  my  brothers  ?  " 

"  Madness,  indeed  !  "  cried  Almagro,  instantly  fired 
to  anger  by  the  other's  manner.  "  I  maintain  I  did  rightly, 
and  we  are  here,  I  take  it,  to  discover  the  truth.  Have  you 
already  told  the  arbitrator  what  he  shall  decide  ?  " 

239 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

"  What  title  had  you  to  seize  my  city,  I  demand,"  went 
on  PizaiTO.  "  Tliink  you  his  Majesty  would  include  in  his 
royal  grant  to  you  a  city  which  you  did  nothing  to  gain  ? 
/  had  all  the  hazards  and  the  dangers.  /  seized  the  Inca, 
and  thus  gained  the  city  and  subdued  the  land.  Think 
you  I  won  such  a  prize  for  you  to  take  ?  " 

Almagro  returned  an  angry  answer,  and  the  quarrel 
became  hot.  Charges  of  treachery  and  want  of  faith  were 
exchanged,  and  there  seemed  little  prospect  of  anything 
in  the  nature  of  peaceful  discussion  ever  being  reached. 
Meanwhile,  the  other  Spanish  gentlemen  and  officers  of 
both  parties  were  standing  together,  listening  or  exchang- 
ing whispered  talk,  while  they  watched  the  two  angry 
disputants. 

Suddenly  one  of  those  who  had  come  in  with  Pizarro 
began  whistling  the  air  of  a  ballad  which  was  often  heard 
in  the  camps  of  the  Spanish  soldiers.  No  one  seemed  to 
take  notice  of  what  he  was  doing  at  first.  Then  he  re- 
peated the  refrain,  and  Almagro  seemed  to  be  struck  by  it. 
He  turned  his  head  and  glanced  keenly  at  the  whistler, 
who,  with  legs  stretched  wide  and  arms  folded  across  his 
breast,  was  looking  up  to  lae  beams  of  the  roof  as  if 
unconscious  that  he  was  whistling. 

Now  the  words  which  went  with  the  air  which  the 
cavalier  was  whistling  were  these  : 

"  Tiempo  es  el  caballero, 
Tiempo  es  de  andar  de  aqui." 

('Tis  time  for  the  noble  cavalier 

To  mount  his  steed  and  flee  from  here.) 

Almagro  broke  off  in  the  passionate  speech  which  he  was 
making,  and,  after  darting  a  black  and  suspicious  look 
at  Pizarro,  he  suddenly  turned  and  strode  to  the  door, 

240 


A  Quarrel 

followed  by  his  two  officers.     He  ran  to  his  troop  before 
the  house,  and,  vaulting  on  his  horse,  cried  : 

"  The  villain  would  betray  us  !  Back  to  quarters,  as 
fast  as  you  can." 

All  struck  spurs  into  their  horses'  flanks,  and  the  whole 
party  dashed  away  out  of  the  town  towards  where  the 
main  part  of  their  army  lay  at  Chincha. 

Next  day  a  friendly  Spaniard  living  at  Mala  was  seen 
by  one  of  Almagro's  officers,  and  on  being  asked  whether 
Pizarro  had  indeed  meditated  treachery  against  Almagro, 
he  replied  : 

"  Some  say  yea  and  some  say  nay.  Some  say  that 
Gonzalo  Pizarro  lay  with  an  ambush  in  the  town,  ready  at 
a  sign  from  his  brother  to  fall  upon  Almagro.  Others  say 
he  was  but  lying  in  readiness  to  aid  his  brother  should 
Almagro  himself  attempt  any  tricks  against  Pizarro. 
Which  is  truth,  I  know  not." 

It  was  left  in  doubt,  indeed,  whether  Francisco  Pizarro 
had  really  meditated  treachery  against  Almagro  ;  but 
the  mere  suspicion,  coupled  with  Pizarro's  haughty  be- 
haviour, rankled  in  the  heart  of  the  old  captain. 

In  a  few  days  a  messenger  came  to  Almagro,  bearing 
letters  from  the  priest,  who  had  been  nominated  to  decide 
between  him  and  Pizarro.  When  the  letter  was  read  to 
Almagro  he  burst  forth  in  furious  anger,  denouncing  the 
injustice  of  the  award. 

"  I  said  he  was  but  the  hireling  of  Pizarro,"  he  said. 
"  A  sentence  so  unjust  has  not  been  pronounced  since  the 
time  of  Pontius  Pilate.  I  will  have  none  of  it,  and  Pizarro 
can  think  himself  fortunate  if  he  does  not  drive  me  to  hack 
off  his  brother's  head  in  return  for  the  affronts  to  which  he 
is  continually  putting  me." 

The  decision  of  the  priest  was  that  a  vessel,  with  a  skilful 

Q  241 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

pilot  on  board,  should  be  sent  to  determine  the  exact 
latitude  of  the  river  Santiago  in  the  north  of  Peru,  from 
which,  according  to  the  royal  grant,  the  territories  of  both 
Pizarro  and  Almagro  were  to  be  measured.  Meanwhile 
Cuzco  was  to  be  delivered  up  by  the  latter,  and  Hernando 
Pizarro  was  to  be  set  at  liberty  and  to  leave  for  Spain  in 
six  weeks. 

The  murmurs  against  this  award  among  Almagro 's  men 
were  many  and  violent. 

"  We  have  been  sold,"  they  said,  "  if  our  general  con- 
sents to  this.  He  is  getting  old,  and  may  want  peace  at 
any  price.  But  we  will  not  give  up  the  comforts  of  Cuzco 
for  the  barren  lands  of  Chili  without  a  fight." 

Almagro  caused  it  to  be  made  known  that  he  was  as 
bitterly  opposed  as  any  of  his  men,  and  would  never 
submit  to  the  award.  This  being  reported  to  Pizarro, 
the  latter  began  to  offer  various  other  solutions  of  the 
dispute,  and  at  length  something  more  satisfactory  was 
proposed. 

The  terms  of  this  were  that  until  the  arrival  of  some 
definite  instructions  on  the  point  from  Castile,  the  city 
of  Cuzco,  with  its  territory,  should  remain  in  the  hands  of 
Almagro  ;  and  that  Hernando  Pizarro  should  be  set  at 
liberty  on  condition  that  he  left  the  country  within  six 
weeks. 

"  Well,"  said  Almagro  to  Orgonez,  when  his  secretary 
had  read  out  these  terms  to  his  master,  "  what  think  you  of 
this  ?  Is  it  not  more  reasonable  ?  Are  they  not  such  as 
I  can  accept  ?  Pizarro  has  made  concessions  of  some 
moment  to  him,  and  I  will  meet  him  in  the  same  spirit 
and  accept  his  terms." 

"  Concessions  cost  little  to  those  who  do  not  intend  to 
abide  by  them,"  was  the  bitter  reply.     "  I  tell  you,  you 

242 


A  Quarrel 

know  not  whom  you  deal  with  when  you  talk  thus  of 
Pizarro." 

"  Out,  man  !  "  cried  Almagro,  in  half-laughing  reproach. 
"  How  you  hate  this  Francisco." 

"  Nay,  I  hate  him  not,"  said  Orgofiez,  "  but  I  know  him 
and  I  know  you  !  " 

"  Nevertheless,  I  will  accept  his  terms  and  go  myself 
to  release  Hernando,"  said  Almagro,  rising  from  his  seat. 

Orgoiiez  also  raised  his  tall  form  from  the  chair  on 
which  he  sat,  and,  clutching  his  own  beard  with  his  left 
hand,  he  thrust  back  his  head  and  drew  his  hand  across 
his  throat,  as  if  cutting  it. 

"  Orgonez,  Orgofiez,"  he  cried,  "  it  is  this  you  will  get 
for  your  friendship  with  Don  Diego  de  Almagro  !  " 


343 


CHAPTER   XVI 

The   Battle  at  the  Salt  Pans 

SECURE  now  in  the  sense  that  he  was  to  be  left 
quietly  in  possession  of  Cuzco,  Almagro  did  not 
hasten  to  leave  his  present  quarters  in  the  lovely- 
valley  of  Chincha.  Moreover  he  was  ill,  and  felt  old  age 
creeping  upon  him,  and  dreamed  of  ending  his  days  in 
peace  and  comfort. 

A  month  passed  thus,  and  then  the  thunderbolt  de- 
scended. Three  cavaliers  rode  into  the  camp  one  day  and 
delivered  a  letter  into  the  hands  of  Almagro 's  secretary. 
Without  waiting,  the  riders  turned  their  horses'  heads  and, 
laughing,  rode  out  of  the  town  again. 

The  secretary  took  the  letter  to  his  master,  who  was  in 
bed  ;  Orgoiiez  was  seated  near  him. 

"  Well,  Espinall,"  asked  Almagro  kindly,  "  what  have 
you  there  ?  " 

"  A  letter,  my  lord,  from  the  marquis." 

Orgoiiez  looked  up,  and  met  the  gaze  of  Almagro.  In 
the  eyes  of  the  latter  man  was  no  suspicion,  but  a  grim 
light  was  in  those  of  Orgoiiez.  The  secretary  was  bidden 
to  read  the  letter. 

*'  Excellent  sir,"  he  read,  "  know  you  by  these  that  I 
cannot  forget  the  many  wrongs  and  affronts  which  you 
have  done  and  caused  to  me.  I  give  you  therefore  to  know 
that  the  treaty  made  lately  between  us  is  now  at  an  end. 
I  bid  you  therefore  not  to  seize  my  city  of  Cuzco,  but  to 

244 


The  Battle  at  the  Salt  Pans 

retire  into  your  own  territory  of  Chili.  If  you  do  not 
relinquish  your  pretensions  to  this  city,  the  responsibility 
of  the  consequences  will  lie  upon  your  own  head." 

Almagro,  his  lined  and  heavy  face  flushed  with  rage, 
looked  round  at  his  lieutenant. 

"  By  the  Virgin,  Orgoiiez  !  "  he  said,  in  a  thick  voice, 
"  your  words  have  come  true  I  You  judged  him  better 
than  any  of  us.  The  perjured  traitor  !  What  doth  he 
not  still  owe  me  of  the  treaty  we  made  at  Panama,  and  now 
he  treats  me  thus  !  Well,  this  shall  be  the  last  tumble 
between  us.  One  of  us  shall  lose  his  life  in  this,  for  never 
more  will  I  trust  him  !  But  I  am  sick  and  old — Orgonez, 
to  think  this  disease  should  sap  my  strength  new  when  I 
need  it  all  to  pull  him  down  !  " 

The  sudden  blow  dealt  by  Pizarro's  letter  had  indeed  a 
very  weakening  effect  upon  Almagro.  His  anger  against 
his  sickness  flamed  up  in  great  bursts  of  rage,  but  he  was 
impotent,  and  at  length  he  had  to  tell  Orgonez  that  he 
would  have  to  conduct  the  war  for  him. 

"  I  know,"  he  said,  taking  the  hand  of  the  stem-faced 
warrior,  "  that  I  can  rely  on  your  loyalty  and  courage. 
We  will  beat  him  yet  between  us." 

They  held  counsel  together  as  to  what  was  best  to  be 
done,  but  Almagro's  illness  had  clouded  the  mind  that 
was  so  keen  in  warcraft,  and  while  he  wondered  what  to 
do,  his  enemy  had  forestalled  him. 

Thus  he  advised  Orgoiiez  too  late  to  seize  the  passes 
through  the  mountains  which  hemmed  in  the  valley  in 
which  he  now  lay.  Some  were  occupied  just  in  time,  but 
from  others  his  detachments  were  beaten  back  by  the 
troops  of  Pizarro,  who,  even  before  announcing  the  end 
of  the  treaty  to  Almagro,  had  already  planned  and  begun 
his  order  of  campaign. 

245 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

When  Almagro  heard  that  this  step  had  failed,  he  got 
up  from  his  bed  and  commanded  a  Htter  to  be  prepared 
for  him,  and  in  this,  at  the  head  of  his  army,  he  began 
his  march  to  Cuzco,  which  he  wished  to  reach  before  his 
enemy  could  arrive  there.  Meanwhile,  friendly  Indian 
allies  kept  him  informed  of  the  movements  of  Pizarro. 

In  a  few  days  Almagro  arrived  at  the  to-svn  of  Bilcas,  and 
there  he  became  so  ill  that  he  had  to  command  a  halt. 
Hearing  from  his  spies  that  Pizarro  was  intending  to  stay 
in  a  valley  some  miles  in  his  rear,  in  order  to  complete  his 
preparations  and  to  gather  a  larger  army,  Almagro  was 
enabled  to  stay  and  rest  for  three  weeks,  before  the  re- 
sumed activity  of  Pizarro  forced  him  to  proceed  forward 
upon  his  journey. 

Almagro  was  further  told  by  his  spies  that  Francisco 
Pizarro  had  returned  to  Lima,  leaving  his  brother  Hern- 
ando to  conduct  the  campaign,  assisted  by  his  younger 
brother,  Gk)nzalo.  On  hearing  this  Almagro  bitterly 
regretted  his  leniency  to  Hernando  while  the  latter  was 
in  his  power 

"  Wlien  he  left  me,"  Almagro  lamented,  "  he  said 
that  he  desired  nothing  better  than  to  live  in  amity 
with  me,  and  pledged  his  honour  as  a  knight  that  he 
would  faithfully  fulfil  the  terms  of  the  treaty  between 


us." 


Having  reached  Cuzco,  Almagro  called  a  council  of  war 
to  decide  what  course  to  pursue.  The  advice  varied  with 
nearly  every  man,  and  Almagro,  old  and  ill,  seemed  to 
have  no  spirit. 

"  I  think,"  said  Pedro  de  Lerma,  "  that  we  should  fortify 
and  provision  the  town  and  await  a  siege." 

Others  thought  the  same,  including  Diego  de  Alvarado, 
who  wished  to  delay  hostilities  between  the  parties  so  as 

246 


Your  words  have  come  true  " 


246 


The  Battle  at  the  Sah  Pans 

to  allow  for  an  opportunity  of  making  peace  between 
them. 

"  Think  you,"  said  Almagro,  "  that  there  is  any  chance 
of  making  terms  with  him  ?  " 

"  What  ?  "  cried  Orgofiez.  "  Do  you  wish  to  have 
another  lesson  ?  Do  you  still  believe  there  is  trust  in  the 
word  of  a  Pizarro  ?  " 

Alvarado  spoke  in  support  of  Almagro,  but  the  latter 
silenced  him.  All  could  see  that  he  was  suffering  both  in 
mind  and  body.  His  face  was  leaden-hued,  his  flesh 
flabby  and  bedewed  with  sweat. 

"  I  am  sick  of  war,  senores,"  said  the  old  man.  "  I 
would  I  could  live  in  peace  for  the  little  while  left  to  me, 
and  see  my  son  Diego  settled  on  the  road  to  prosperity 
and  power.  Well,  well,  Orgoilez,  you  are  right.  They 
cannot  be  trusted,  so  we  must  fight  them,  since  there 
is  no  other  course." 

"  Ay,"  replied  Orgoilez  bluntly,  "  you  must  fight  them 
or  be  roped  in  like  a  bull  to  the  slaughter.  You  have 
liberated  Hernando  Pizarro— it  is  too  late  now  to  do  aught 
but  fight  !  " 

This  opinion  ultimately  prevailed,  and  it  was  decided  to 
march  out  of  the  city  and  meet  Hernando  in  the  field.  As 
Almagro  was  too  ill  to  lead  his  army  personally,  he  gave 
the  command  to  Orgofiez,  who  mustered  his  forces  and 
marched  out  of  the  city,  Almagro  following  in  a  litter  to 
watch  the  issue  of  the  contest  from  a  place  near  by. 

Orgofiez  took  up  his  position  at  a  place  called  the  Salt 
Pans,  about  three  miles  from  the  city  and  in  the  direct 
line  of  Hernando's  march  upon  the  capital.  A  piece  of 
marshy  ground  was  in  front  of  them,  and  before  that  ran 
a  small  river.  Orgofiez  counted  on  the  enemy  getting  en- 
tangled either  in  the  river  or  the  marsh,  but  as  the  officers 

247 


The   Conquerors  of  Peru 

who  were  with  him  pointed  out,  more  than  half  of  his  own 
forces  consisted  of  cavalry,  who  would  only  flounder  about 
in  attacking  the  enemy  as  they  crossed  the  marsh. 

Their  leader,  however,  was  obstinate,  and  would  not 
change  his  position,  He  arranged  his  infantry,  who  were 
mostly  armed  with  the  long  pike,  in  the  middle  of  his  array, 
and  placed  the  cavalry  in  equal  parties  on  each  side,  to- 
gether with  six  small  cannon  or  falconets. 

As  the  men  rested  on  their  arms,  awaiting  the  approach 
of  their  enemies,  they  had  leisure  to  look  about  them. 
Lifting  their  eyes  to  the  mountain-slopes  and  rocky  heights 
surrounding  the  valley  in  which  they  stood,  they  were 
amazed  to  see  that  thousands  of  Peruvians,  in  multi- 
coloured blankets,  stood  watching  them.  The  news  of  the 
approaching  battle  had  spread  from  mouth  to  mouth 
among  the  Indians  for  many  miles  through  Peru,  and  the 
cowed  natives  smiled  bitterly  to  think  that  now,  having 
beaten  them  to  the  dust,  their  conquerors  were  to  leap  at 
each  other's  throats,  like  robbers  who  quarrel  over  the 
division  of  booty. 

On  the  hills  toward  Cuzco,  however,  those  were  standing 
who  looked  with  anxious  eyes  on  the  lines  of  the  five 
hundred  soldiers  ranked  in  the  middle  of  the  plain.  Many 
Spanish  women  had  entered  the  country  since  the  con- 
quest, the  wives  or  sweethearts  of  the  soldiery,  and  these, 
together  with  many  children,  waited  with  white  lips  and 
beating  hearts. 

It  was  late  in  the  afternoon  before  the  cavaliers  and 
infantry  of  Hernando  came  into  sight  ;  their  burnished 
breastplates  and  bright  headpieces  reflecting  the  rays  of 
the  sinking  sun.  With  steady  step  and  in  good  order, 
showing  how  fresh  and  unstrained  they  were,  the  army  of 
Hernando,  numbering  some  seven  hundred  men,  marched 

248 


The  Battle  at  the  Salt  Pans 

across  the  plain  and  took  up  their  position  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  little  river. 

The  sun  had  set  by  the  time  they  had  taken  up  their 
position,  and  here,  facing  each  other  at  a  distance  of  a 
hundred  feet,  brothers  and  kindred,  bent  on  shedding  each 
other's  blood,  prepared  for  slumber. 

The  night  passed  in  silence,  unbroken  by  any  alarm. 
The  men  slept  about  their  camp  fires,  the  sentinels  passed 
to  and  fro  in  each  camp,  and  the  thousands  on  the  hills 
about  the  plain  watched  the  flames  die  down  toward  dawn. 

Long  before  the  beams  of  the  sun  shone  along  the  valley 
the  trumpets  of  Hernando  woke  his  men  to  arms.  In- 
stantly the  morning  meal  was  prepared,  and  after  this  was 
taken  he  prepared  the  order  of  battle.  In  mounted  troops 
he  was  inferior  to  Almagro,  but  as  compensation  for  this 
his  infantry  was  numerous,  and  contained  a  well-trained 
corps  of  harquebusiers  recently  sent  from  St  Domingo, 
whose  weapons  were  of  the  most  recent  form.  They 
were  of  large  size,  and  threw  double-headed  shot,  consist- 
ing of  two  bullets  linked  together  by  an  iron  chain. 

Hernando  drew  up  his  army  in  the  same  manner  as 
Orgonez  had  arranged  his  forces.  On6  corps  of  the  horse 
he  placed  under  the  command  of  AJonso  de  Alvarado, 
while  the  infantry  was  commanded  by  Gkjnzalo  Pizarro. 

Mass  was  said  by  a  priest  whom  they  had  with  them, 
and  then  Hernando,  reining  up  his  horse  before  the  army, 
addressed  the  men. 

"  Comrades,"  he  said,  "  you  know  why  we  are  here— to 
avenge,  first,  the  many  injuries  done  by  Almagro  upon  the 
marquis  and  his  kindred ;  second,  to  teach  him,  and  those 
who  hold  with  him,  that  where  others  have  so^vn  he  niust 
not  hope  to  reap,  that  where  others,  with  risk  and  suffering, 
have  gained  the  prize,  his  hands  shall  not  wrest  that  prize 

249 


The   Conquerors  of  Peru 

from  those  whose  riorhtly  it  is.  From  you,  veterans  of 
Pizarro,  has  he  seized  Cuzco  and  its  riches — ^from  the  first 
conquerors  of  Peru  he  has  taken  the  brightest  treasure  of 
all  those  which  you  have  won." 

He  pointed  with  his  sword  to  the  distant  city,  whose 
white  walls  were  now  sparkling  in  the  morning  sun. 

"  That  is  the  prize  of  the  victor  !  "  he  cried.  "  Say, 
will  you  win  it  from  this  Almpgro  who  claims  to  hold  it, 
or  will  you  suffer  yourselves  to  be  defeated  and  led  captive 
within  its  walls  ?  " 

Such  a  cry  of  rage  went  up  from  the  throats  of  the  seven 
hundred  men  before  him  that  it  reverberated  among  the 
clefts  and  hollows  of  the  mountains,  and  struck  on  the 
ears  of  the  watching  women  and  children  with  a  mournful 
sound  as  of  coming  disaster.  Among  them  was  Almagro, 
who  looked  on  with  gloomy  face.  He  had  been  assisted 
to  a  horse,  but  looked  shrunken,  old  and  thin,  with  nothing 
of  the  dashing  air  which  had  once  distinguished  him. 

At  a  signal  from  Hernando  his  brother  Gonzalo  gave  the 
word,  "  Advance  !  "  and,  heading  his  battalion  of  foot 
soldiers,  led  it  straight  across  the  river.  The  water  was 
not  deep,  and  soon  they  gained  the  other  side,  where, 
in  the  marshy  ground,  the  foremost  files  hesitated.  In- 
stantly the  guns  of  Orgoiiez  opened  upon  them,  and  the 
shot,  striking  down  this  man  and  that,  spread  disorder 
and  dismay  among  the  men.  But  only  for  a  few  moments. 
(Jonzalo  and  his  second  in  command,  Pedro  de  Valdivia, 
threw  themselves  among  the  soldiers,  cheering  this  one, 
threatening  another,  and  putting  such  spirit  into  them  that 
they  quickly  recovered,  and  now  jumping  from  hummock 
to  hummock,  or  floundering  bravely  through  the  bog,  the 
infantry  soon  gained  the  firm  ground  on  which  their  enemy 
stood  ready  to  receive  them. 

250 


The  Battle  at  the  Salt  Pans 

The  spearman  of  Orgonez  advanced  to  attack,  but,  obey- 
ing the  quick  orders  of  Gonzalo,  the  harquebusiers  among 
his  men  ran  to  a  small  hill  beside  the  marsh,  whence  they 
began  to  fire  with  deadly  effect  upon  the  army  of  Orgoiiez. 
So  heavy  was  their  fire  that  his  spearmen  could  not  stand 
before  it,  and  the  cavalry  on  the  flanks  were  also  thrown 
into  some  disorder. 

Meanwhile  Hernando,  while  his  harquebusiers  kept 
Orgoiiez  in  check,  formed  up  his  cavalry,  and,  crossing  the 
marsh,  reached  the  firm  ground.  Orgoiiez  had  seen  this 
movement,  and  relying  no  longer  on  his  broken  infantry, 
he  ordered  his  cavalry  to  form  into  one  body. 

Placing  himself  at  the  head  of  these,  he  spurred  at  full 
gallop  against  the  advancing  cavaliers  of  Pizarro.  The 
shock  as  they  clanged  together  was  terrific,  and  from  the 
throats  of  the  watching  Indians  on  the  heights  arose  a 
fiendish  cry  of  exultation.  It  sounded  high  above  the 
din  of  battle,  and  struck  terror  into  the  hearts  of  the 
watching  women,  for  it  meant  delight  in  the  carnage  which 
the  conquerors  were  now  meting  out  to  one  another. 

The  fighting  between  the  two  bands  of  cavaliers  was 
fierce  and  deadly.  Lance  shivered  against  armour,  and 
swords  flashed  and  rose  again  tinged  with  a  ruddy  hue, 
while  above  the  press  of  biting,  plunging  horses  and  thrust- 
ing cavaliers  rang  the  opposing  cries  of  "  The  king  and 
Almagro  !  "  and  "  The  king  and  Pizarro  !  " 

Orgoiiez  fought  with  the  fierceness  of  despair.  At  the 
first  onset  he  singled  out  a  knight  whom,  in  error,  he 
thought  to  be  Hernando  Pizarro,  and  charging  him  in  full 
career,  overthrew  him.  Another  he  ran  through  in  like 
manner,  and  then,  his  lance  breaking,  he  drew  out  his 
sword,  and  with  a  cry  of  "  Victory  !  "  thrust  another 
knight  through  the  body. 

251 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

Suddenly  those  on  the  hills  saw  him  check  in  his  gallop ; 
he  seemed  to  sway  in  his  saddle,  and  next  moment  his 
horse  fell.  A  chain  shot  from  a  harquebus  had  struck 
through  the  bars  of  his  visor  and  bruised  his  forehead, 
so  that  for  some  moments  he  was  dazed.  Then  another 
shot  killed  his  horse,  and  he  was  down.  Before  he  could 
recover  himself  from  the  entangling  stirrups  he  was 
surrounded  and  outnumbered. 

"  Surrender  1  "  was  shouted  to  him. 

"  Never,"  he  said,  "  unless  it  be  to  a  knight  of  equal 
rank  !  " 

"  I  am  a  knight  I  "  cried  one.     "  Give  me  your  sword  !  " 

Orgonez  did  not  know  him,  but  believed  the  man  was 
speaking  truth.  He  held  out  his  sword  and  the  other 
dashed  it  from  his  hand.  Then,  drawing  a  poniard,  the 
wretch  leaned  from  his  horse  and  stabbed  Orgonez  to 
the  heart. 

When  Orgonez  fell,  the  battle  was  lost  for  his  party. 
The  infantry  was  already  scattered  by  the  terrible  hail 
of  bullets,  and  now  fled  to  shelter  behind  bushes,  mounds 
or  broken  walls  which  stood  here  and  there  near  the  field 
of  battle.  The  cavalry,  also,  outnumbered  and  leaderless, 
gave  way  and  fled,  and  conquered  and  conqueror  began 
a  race  to  the  city. 

From  the  hills  around  them  rose  cries  of  lamentation 
from  the  watching  women,  and  from  the  Indians  yells  of 
triumph.  Almagro,  who  had  watched  the  losing  battle 
in  gloomy  despair,  seeing  now  that  his  faithful  followers 
were  wholly  lost,  cried  to  his  servants  to  help  him  into 
safety.  They  turned  his  horse  for  him,  and  rode  beside 
him  back  to  Cuzco.  He  seemed  dazed  and  confused,  and 
did  not  know  where  to  go,  until  one  suggested  that  he 
would  find  refuge  in  the  fortress.     Thither  he  rode,  there- 

252 


The  Battle  at  the  Salt  Pans 

fore,  but  hardly  had  he  ahghted  from  his  horse  when  the 
thud  of  advancing  hoofs  was  heard  ;  a  cavaher  thundered 
at  the  gate  and  ordered  it  to  be  opened. 

Almagro,  seeing  that  resistance  was  useless,  gave  him- 
self up,  and  he  was  taken  in  triumph  through  the  city. 
Having  arrived  at  the  square  he  was  put  in  irons,  and 
was  cast  into  the  very  prison  in  which  he  had  confined 
Hernando  Pizarro. 

Hernando  gave  the  capital  up  to  pillage,  and  the  treasure 
found  by  the  conquerors  was  immense,  especially  in  the 
quarters  of  Almagro 's  officers,  who,  as  a  rule,  had  been 
unbridled  in  their  demands  upon  the  natives  in  every  town 
through  which  they  had  passed. 

When  at  length  the  pillage  had  been  completed  and  the 
town  was  quiet  again,  Hernando  Pizarro  set  about  the 
drawing  up  of  charges  against  Almagro.  Everyone  whom 
the  imprisoned  general  had  ever  offended  was  sought  out, 
and  slowly  a  thousand  petty  accusations  were  piled  up 
against  him,  filling  eventually  no  less  than  four  thousand 
pages. 

Meanwhile  the  other  partisans  of  Almagro  were  sent  out 
of  the  town,  among  them  being  his  only  son,  Diego.  The 
young  man,  full  of  anxiety  concerning  the  fate  of  his 
father,  was  in  charge  of  a  strong  escort,  and  was  to  be 
taken  to  the  governor  at  Lima.  But  when  they  reached 
Xauxa  they  learned  that  the  marquis  was  also  there,  on 
his  way  to  Cuzco.  Young  Diego  sought  an  interview 
with  him  at  once,  and,  with  tears  in  his  eyes,  said,  after 
he  had  greeted  him  : 

"  Marquis,  I  pray  you  hasten  to  Cuzco,  and  let  not  your 
brother  Hernando  do  any  harm  to  my  father.  He  is  old 
and  ill  and  feeble,  and  is  pining  in  prison." 

The  marquis,  with  kindness  in  his  tones,  said  :   "  You 

253 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

must  take  heart,  my  young  friend.  Believe  me,  no  harm 
shall  come  to  your  father.  I  trust  indeed  that  the  ancient 
friendship  between  myself  and  your  father  will  soon  be 
renewed." 

Diego  thanked  the  marquis  with  a  full  heart,  and,  much 
cheered  by  the  words,  continued  his  way  to  the  coast. 
Bishop  Valverde  and  cavaliers  of  high  rrnk  who  were  with 
Pizarro,  and  who  were  old  friends  of  Almagro,  also  begged 
of  the  marquis  that  no  ill  should  befall  Almagro,  and 
to  all  of  them  Pizarro  returned  assuring  though  formal 
answers. 

Meanwhile  in  Cuzco,  but  forty  miles  away,  Almagro  still 
lay  in  prison,  pining  under  the  combined  effects  of  bodily 
illness  and  distress  of  mind.  Hernando,  hearing  he  was 
like  to  die,  visited  him  in  prison,  and  assured  him  that  he 
only  awaited  the  governor's  arrival  io  se.  him  at  liberty. 
Cheered  by  this  speedy  prospect  of  freedom,  the  old  man 
mended  in  health  and  spirits. 

Some  weeks  passed.  Pizarro  still  delayed  his  advance 
from  Xauxa,  and  daily  Almagro  asked  his  guards  when  the 
marquis  would  arrive  to  grant  him  freedom.  But  they 
knew  nothing.  Buoyed  up  with  hope,  however,  Almagro 
felt  that  every  day  brought  him  nearer  to  release. 

One  day  a  friar  was  admitted  into  his  room.  The  black- 
robed  figure  paced  slowly  and  solemnly  to  where  Almagro 
sat  at  the  small  window  which  let  a  meagre  light  into  his 
prison.  Almagro  rose,  a  little  startled  at  the  other's 
mysterious  entrance. 

"  Senor,"  said  the  priest,  throwing  back  the  hood  which 
shrouded  his  face,  "  I  have  a  mournful  duty  to  perform. 
1  have  to  inform  you  that  you  are  condemned  to  die." 

For  some  moments  Almagro  was  dazed  by  so  sudden  a 
blow  to  all  his  hopes. 

254 


The   Battle  at  the  Salt  Pans 

"  It  cannot  be — ^it  cannot  be  !  "  he  said.  "  Such  a 
wrong  cannot  be  done — ^I  will  not  believe  it  !  " 

In  spite  of  all  the  priest  could  say,  Almagro  refused  to 
credit  the  other's  words,  and  demanded  that  Hernando 
should  come  to  him,  and  tell  him  the  truth. 

The  interview  was  granted,  but  it  is  unnecessary  to 
dwell  upon  it.  To  all  the  old  man's  piteous  entreaties 
that  life  should  be  spared  him — ^to  his  demand  for  some 
return  for  having  spared  Hernando's  life  so  recently  when 
Orgofiez  had  counselled  his  execution — 'to  all  that  the  old 
leader  could  urge,  the  cold  and  callous  heart  of  Hernando 
returned  one  answer — that  all  his  prayers  were  in  vain, 
and  he  must  prepare  to  meet  his  doom. 

The  news  of  the  sentence  produced  a  feeling  of  deep 
horror  throughout  Cuzco.  Almagro  had  been  generally 
liked  by  the  community,  and  all  recalled  some  generous 
or  good-natured  act  of  the  old  leader.  Many  high  officers 
waited  on  Hernando,  among  them  Diego  de  Alvarado,  and 
besought  mercy  for  him.  But  all  was  in  vain.  The  only 
effect  was  that  Hernando  Pizarro  consented  that  the 
execution  of  Almagro  should  not  take  place  in  the  public 
square,  but  within  the  walls  of  the  prison. 

On  the  day  appointed,  a  strong  corps  of  harquebusiers 
were  drawn  up  in  the  square  to  overawe  any  attempt  on 
the  part  of  the  populace  to  demonstrate  against  an  act 
which  almost  all  denounced  as  the  high-handed  deed  of  a 
tyrant  and  traitor.  Guards  were  doubled  over  the  houses 
where  dwelled  the  chief  partisans  of  Almagro.  At  an 
hour  unknown  to  any  but  those  immediately  about  Her- 
nanr'o  Pizarro,  the  executioner,  attended  by  a  priest, 
stealthily  entered  the  prison  of  Almagro,  who,  without  a 
word,  submitted  himself  to  death.  He  was  strangled,  his 
corpse  was  borne  to   the  square,  where  the  head  was 

255 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

severed  from  the  body.  Then,  huddled  in  the  shroud, 
the  remains  were  hurried  to  the  house  of  his  friend,  Heman 
Ponce  de  Leon,  and  next  day  were  laid  with  all  solemnity 
in  the  Church  of  Our  Lady  of  Mercy. 

Tlius  perished,  at  about  the  age  of  seventy,  the  hero  of  a 
hundred  battles.  With  all  his  faults,  he  was  a  man  who 
was  generally  liked.  He  was  passionate,  but  not  vindic- 
tive ;  and  so  unlike  the  average  Spaniard  was  he,  that 
even  the  Indians,  when  they  heard  of  his  conviction,  bore 
testimony  to  the  humanity  and  good -nature  of  the  man 
by  saying  that,  if  he  were  slain,  they  would  be  without 
a  friend  among  the  white  men. 


256 


CHAPTER   XVII 

The  Vengeance  of  the  Men  of  Chili 

THREE  years  had  passed  since  the  execution  of 
Almagro,  when  one  day,  in  an  upper  room  of  a 
house  in  Lima,  some  twelve  sat  round  a  table. 
They  had  evidently  just  dined,  but  their  hungry  looks 
showed  that  their  meal  had  been  but  a  poor  one.  Indeed, 
they  seemed  to  be  men  who  were  almost  destitute.  Several 
of  them  wore  the  Indian  blanket,  their  legs  had  no  hose, 
and  their  shoes  were  holed  and  patched.  Others  still 
had  doublets,  but  the  velvet  was  slashed  in  more 
places  than  fashion  demanded,  besides  being  frayed 
and  shabby  and  soiled.  The  shirts  beneath  them  were 
in  rags  ;  and  generally  in  the  haggard  looks,  unkempt 
hair  and  careless  manner,  the  whole  party  appeared 
to  be  composed  of  men  whose  fortunes  were  at  the 
lowest  ebb. 

At  the  head  of  the  table  sat  one  in  whose  eyes  fire 
seemed  still  to  smoulder  as  he  sat  with  chin  on  hand  in 
thought.  His  hair  was  grey,  his  face  had  several  old 
wounds  upon  it,  and  the  jutting  white  eyebrows,  short, 
stiff  beard  and  hanging  moustache  gave  him  a  grim, 
fierce  look. 

These  men  were  the  "  men  of  Chili,"  who,  being  parti- 
sans of  Almagro,  had  rejected  with  scorn  the  overtures 
of  Hernando  Pizarro,  and,  refusing  the  gifts  he  offered 
for  their  friendship,  had  chosen  poverty  in  which  to 
R  257 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

nurse  their  lust  for  revenge  upon  the  murderers  of  their 
old  leader. 

"  We  are  becoming  old  women  !  "  at  length  said  the 
grim  man  at  the  head  of  the  table.  "  Soon,  I  think,  we 
shall  go  in  our  rags  and  beg  for  alms  of  the  murderer 
Pizarro,  or  of  that  dog,  his  secretary,  Picado.  For  here 
we  sit  and  starve,  and  chafe  up  oui  old  wounds  and  our 
old  sorrows,  cursing  the  day  we  were  born,  yet  doing 
nothing  to  alter  our  fate." 

"It  is  hard  to  make  head  against  such  miseries  as  we 
have  suffered,"  said  one,  "  and  are  still  suffering." 

"  Juan  Rada  says  truth,"  said  another.  "  If  we  spoke 
less  of  our  sufferings  and  thought  more  of  revenge  we 
should  strike  on  some  way  to  mend  our  fortunes." 

"  Yet  we  should  take  care,"  said  Gomez  Perez,  a  man 
of  a  better  dress  than  the  others,  "  that  we  do  not  drag 
young  Almagro  into  our  plots." 

"  Who  wishes  to  do  that  ?  "  cried  Rada,.  and  his  eyes 
shot  a  suspicious  glance  at  the  speaker.  "  We  live  in  his 
house,  and  partake  of  the  little  wealth  which  the  murderer 
in  contempt  has  left  to  him.  Whatever  we  do,  the  lad  shall 
not  be  drawn  into  it.  What  we  do  should  be  done  for  the 
love  we  bear  the  memory  of  his  father,  and  it  will  be  for 
his  gain — to  give  him  the  lands  and  the  lordship  which  are 
his  by  right,  and  have  been  refted  from  him  by  that  robber, 
Pizarro,  who  despises  us  so  much  that  he  even  disdains 
to  go  about  the  city  with  a  guard.  We  are  but  blind 
puppies  to  him,  he  can  kick  us  out  of  the  way  when  he 
likes,  and  in  contempt  he  lets  us  live  within  a  stone's 
throw  of  his  palace  on  sufferance." 

This  was  so  true,  yet  so  bitter  a  truth,  that  for  a  time 
men's  looks  were  gloomily  bent  on  the  table  and  on  the 
floor — anywhere  but  in  each  other's  faces. 

258 


Vengeance  of  the  Men  of  Chili 

"  When  PizaiTo  entered  Ciizco  after  our  brave  old 
leader — whom  God  keep  in  heaven — was  murdered  in  his 
prison,"  went  on  Rada,  "  I  sought  the  good  Espinall,  who, 
as  you  remember,  was  a  secretary  to  my  lord  Almagro, 
whom  he  loved  and  for  whose  sake  he  dared  the  wrath 
of  that  stony-hearted  wretch,  Hernando  Pizarro.  I  and 
others  thought  at  that  time  that  the  governor  had  naught 
to  do  with  the  murder  of  Almagro,  though  we  wondered 
why  he  delayed  so  long  at  Xauxa,  and  did  not  enter  the 
city  until  the  deed  had  been  done.  But  Espinall,  good 
man,  with  flashing  eyes  and  angry  looks,  told  me  that  this 
delay  had  been  part  of  the  plot  which  the  callous-hearted 
brothers  had  made  between  them.  Traitor  that  he  is  ! 
You  know  what  kindly  words  Francisco  spoke  to  young 
Diego  when,  with  tears,  the  boy  besought  him  to  save 
his  father  ?  Take  heart,  he  said,  for  no  harm  should  come 
to  his  father.  What,  too,  said  he  to  the  Bishop  Valverde 
and  the  other  cavaliers  who  pressed  him  to  save  Almagro 
from  harm  ?  He  had  no  other  desire,  he  said,  than  to  see 
the  land  in  peace,  and  as  to  Almagro,  that  very  soon  their 
old  friendship  would  be  renewed. 

"  Senores,"  Rada  went  on,  "  the  secretary  Espinall  said 
that  Francisco  was  in  the  plot,  as  he  felt  assured,  but  that 
he  had  at  that  time  no  proof  of  it.  But  he  would  make  it 
his  business  to  inquire  of  those  that  were  about  Pizarro 
durmg  those  days  at  Xauxa.  You  know  that  Espinall  had 
to  leave  the  country  with  others  of  those  who  loved  Al- 
magro— with  some  of  us  who,  robbed  of  all  we  possessed, 
were  too  poor  to  buy  food  or  clothes,  and,  too  jjroud  to 
appear  in  our  rags  before  our  countrymen,  hid  ourselves 
in  the  mountains,  living  and  dressing  like  the  Indians. 
Some  of  us  died  of  hunger,  others  have  lived  through  our 
miseries  and  now  sit  about  this  table. 

259 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

"  The  good  Espinall  was  one  of  such  wanderers.  He 
found  his  way  to  Panama,  in  dire  poverty,  'tis  true,  but 
still  hoping  for  the  proof  he  sought.  Senores,  I  have  a 
letter  from  him.  It  came  by  the  caravel  which  reached 
Callao  yesterday,  and  it  hath  the  proof  he  sought.  He 
learnt  it  from  the  lips  of  one  of  the  cavaliers  who  were 
intimate  with  Pizarro  during  those  days  at  Xauxa,  and 
who,  on  his  way  home  to  Spain,  was  seen  by  Espinall  at 
Panama  and  besought  to  tell  him  the  truth. 

"  Now,  senoies,"  thundered  Rada,  his  face  dark  with 
passion,  his  great  fist  striking  the  table  with  a  violent 
blow,  "  the  truth  is  this.  When  the  trial  of  our  master 
was  concluded  in  Cuzco,  Hernando  sent  a  trusty  messenger 
with  the  words  :  '  We  have  found  him  guilty.  What  shall 
be  done  with  him  ?  '  The  reply  which  Pizarro  gave  with 
his  OAvn  lips  was  :  '  Deal  with  him  so  that  he  shall  give  us 
no  more  trouble.'  " 

The  listeners  looked  at  each  other  as  if  they  had  heard 
what  they  had  almost  expected  to  hear,  yet  as  if  the  truth 
were  startling. 

"  It  is  borne  out  by  what  he  hath  ever  been,"  said  one  ; 
"  a  man  who  values  no  treaty,  no  friendship  if  it  stands 
in  the  way  of  his  will.     Yet  'tis  well  to  know  the  truth." 

"  With  what  savagery  did  he  strip  us  of  our  lands,"  said 
another,  "  because  we  were  Almagro's  friends.  He  was 
glad  to  know  that  Almagro  was  out  of  the  way,  and  that 
henceforth  he  was  supreme  in  the  land." 

There  was  a  step  at  the  door ;  it  flew  open  and  a  cavalier 
entered,  flinging  off  his  cloak  as  he  came  in. 

"  Comrades,"  he  said,  coming  to  the  table,  "  there  is 
good  news  for  us.  The  Court  has  looked  into  our  matter, 
so  'tis  said,  and  the  emperor  is  sending  a  Crown  judge 
to  make  inquiry  into  the  government  of  Pizarro." 

260 


Vengeance  of  the   Men   of  Chili 

"  Where  heard  you  that  ?  "  asl^ed  Rada,  while  the  faces 
of  the  others  showed  their  satisfaction  at  the  news. 

"  Letters  came  to  Pizarro  yesterday,"  was  the  reply. 
"  He  is  madly  angry,  but,  as  usual,  he  hides  his 
wrath  with  that  cold  mask  of  his.  I  had  it  from 
one  of  the  soldiers  of  his  guard  who  is  a  kinsman  of 


mine." 


The  spirits  of  the  men  about  the  table  were  greatly 
raised  by  this  intelligence.  They  had  already  heard  that 
Hernando  Pizarro,  who,  after  the  execution  of  Almagro, 
had  gone  home  to  Spain  with  an  immense  treasure,  had 
been  charged  with  tyranny  and  oppression  by  several  of 
Almagro 's  friends  in  Spain,  and  that  he  had  been  im- 
prisoned. The  news,  therefore,  that  the  Court  of  Spain 
was  sending  its  own  agent  to  Peru  to  inquire  into  the  con- 
duct of  the  supreme  governor,  seemed  to  them  to  promise 
redress  of  all  their  wrongs,  and  vengeance  upon  the  prime 
mover  of  Almagro 's  murder. 

They  discussed  the  best  means  of  taking  advantage  of 
this  favourable  turn  in  affairs,  and  at  length  it  was  de- 
cided that,  if  the  money  necessary  for  the  purpose  could 
be  raised  secretly  among  friends  in  the  town,  two  of  their 
number  should  travel  to  Panama  to  await  the  arrival  of 
the  government  official,  to  lay  their  case  before  him 
before  he  entered  the  territory  of  Pizarro. 

Some  weeks  passed  before  they  succeeded  in  obtaining 
the  money  they  required,  and  when  it  had  been  collected 
they  chose  two  of  their  number,  and,  clothing  them  in  suits 
of  mourning,  sent  them  by  the  next  outgoing  ship  to 
Panama,  where  they  were  to  await  the  arrival  of  the  Crown 
judge. 

News  of  this  reached  the  ears  of  Pizarro,  and  it  was 
urged  that  he  should  do  something  to  break  up  the  com- 

261 


The   Conquerors  of  Peru 

pany  of  Almagro's  adherents  who  were  dwelhng  together 
in  young  Ahnagro's  house. 

"  Poor  devils  !  "  he  said  contemptuously,  "  let  them 
be.  They  have  had  bad  luck  enough,  these  men  of  Chili. 
We  will  not  trouble  them." 

Months  passed  and  no  news  came  concerning  the  arrival 
of  the  Crown  official,  nor  did  word  come  from  the  two  men 
they  had  sent  to  meet  him.  Meanwhile,  those  who  were 
left  behind  were  reduced  to  the  direst  poverty  and  dis- 
tress. They  had  not  even  sufficient  food,  for  all  had  been 
stripped  from  them  by  Pizarro,  and  none  of  them  now 
filled  any  office  or  had  employment  of  any  kind,  and  they 
were  too  proud  to  beg  for  any  either  from  their  friends  or 
from  those  who  were  partisans  of  Pizarro. 

So  ragged  were  they  that,  with  the  pride  of  Spanish 
gentlemen,  they  would  not  venture  abroad  by  day.  They 
could  only  muster  one  good  cloak  among  the  ten  or  twelve 
who  lived  together,  and  when  it  was  imperative  that  they 
should  go  out,  they  wore  this  cloak  in  turn  to  hide  their 
rags. 

At  length  news  reached  Lima  that  most  of  the  squadron 
which  had  accompanied  the  Crown  official,  Don  Vaca 
de  Castro,  had  foundered  in  the  heavy  storms  on  the 
coast,  and  that  it  was  believed  the  commissioner  himself 
had  been  droAvned  with  them. 

This  was  grievous  news  to  the  men  of  Chili,  who,  having 
waited  month  after  month  to  hear  some  hopeful  tidings, 
now  found  all  their  hopes  dashed  to  the  ground.  In  the 
words  of  one  of  their  number,  they  felt  that  tlieir  miseries 
were  almost  too  grievous  to  be  borne.  So  embittered 
were  the  men  that  they  became  desperate,  and  if  any  of 
them  met  the  governor  in  the  streets  of  Lima,  they  would 
pass  him  with  head  erect  and  threatening,  flashing  eyes, 

262 


Vengeance  of  the   Men  of  Chili 

keeping  covered  while  eveiyone  else  in  the  street  stood 
with  uncovered  head  as  the  marquis,  with  his  slinking 
secretary  at  his  heels,  stalked  proudly  by. 

Once,  early-rising  citizens,  walking  past  the  public 
gallows  just  outside  the  town,  found  three  ropes  suspended 
from  the  cross-bar.  A  scrap  of  paper  fluttered  from  the 
end  of  each,  and,  curious  of  this  strange  sight,  many  went 
up  and  read  on  one,  "  For  the  dog  Picado,"  on  the  second, 
"  For  the  law-breaker,  Judge  Velasquez,"  and  on  the 
third,  attached  to  the  strongest  and  thickest  rope,  "  For 
his  Excellency."  Many  citizens  went  off  after  reading 
these  with  a  shrug  of  the  shoulders  and  a  smile,  for  few 
loved  the  governor,  whose  pride  and  cold  manner  chilled 
them  ;  but  others,  hoping  to  curry  favour,  ran  quickly  to 
the  governor's  house  and  told  Picado,  his  secretary,  of 
this  outrage  upon  the  dignity  of  the  marquis,  his  great 
friend  and  supporter,  the  chief  judge,  and  his  excellent 
servant,  Picado. 

"  Ah,  the  dogs  !  "  cried  that  worthy,  when  he  was  told  ; 
"  one  need  only  go  across  the  square  to  put  one's  hand 
on  the  dirty,  ragged  rascals  who  have  done  this  shameful 
thing.  It  shall  be  reported  to  his  Excellency,  and 
I  will  advise  his  Excellency  to  root  them  out — ^the 
pack  of  snarling  curs  His  Excellency  is  too  lenient 
with  them.  They  will  do  him  an  injury  if  he  be  not 
careful." 

But  the  marquis,  despising  the  disaffected  men  of  Chili 
too  much  to  fear  them,  or  to  take  annoyance  at  the  jest, 
laughed  the  matter  off.  Not  so  Picado,  the  secretary. 
Two  days  later,  as  the  men  of  Chili  sat,  hungry  and 
gloomy,  over  an  almost  bare  table,  the  noise  of  hoofs 
sounded  on  the  stones  before  the  house,  as  if  someone  had 
reined  up  and  prepared  to  dismount.     Eagerly  they  ran  to 

263 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

the  windows,  thinking  that  at  last  news  and  perhaps 
succour  had  come  to  them. 

Instead,  however,  they  saw  Picado,  dressed  out  in  rich 
clothes,  with  a  gold  chain  upon  a  rich  velvet  coat,  his  hat 
adorned  with  diamonds,  his  sword  gold-hilted  and  his 
white  ruffles  six  inches  deep.  In  his  hat  was  a  big  paper 
like  a  pennon,  with  the  words  thereon,  "  For  the  men  of 
Chili."  Behind  him  was  a  man  with  a  mule,  with  panniers 
filled  with  provisions. 

Picado  looked  up  at  the  window,  and,  seeing  the  eager 
faces,  doffed  his  hat,  his  sleek  face  wreathed  in  a  bitter 
smile.  Then,  spurring  his  horse,  he  rode  away  with  a 
laugh,  and  the  fellow  with  the  mule  followed  him,  the  man 
shouting  some  insult  as  he  led  the  loaded  animal  away. 

So  the  hungry,  harassed  days  went  by,  and  slowly,  in 
the  desperate  minds  of  the  men  of  Chili,  a  dreadful  thought 
grew.  In  these  days  of  their  greatest  gloom  they  rarely 
spoke  of  their  miseries,  but  all  their  thoughts  were  ex- 
pressed in  sudden  looks,  in  restrained  and  desperate  ges- 
tures, or  in  a  word  thrown  out  in  sudden  passion. 

At  length  Herrada,  or  Rada,  as  he  was  more  often  called, 
took  his  fellows  aside  one  by  one  and  spoke  to  them.  He 
found  that  the  purpose  which  had  been  forming  slowly 
in  his  own  mind  found  its  echo  in  the  thoughts  of  most  of 
his  friends.  One  or  two  of  them  there  were  who  seemed  to 
start,  shocked,  at  the  thing  he  spoke  of  ;  but  all  were 
filled  with  the  glow  of  revenge  for  their  miseries,  and  at 
Rada's  words  the  glow  quickened  into  flame  and  burned 
high  and  fiercely. 

"  Above  all,"  was  ever  his  final  word,  "  young  Almagro 
must  not  be  told.  It  is  to  avenge  the  wrongs  done  to  his 
father  and  to  us  who  loved  our  leader ;  the  lad  shall  profit 
by  our  deed,  but  he  shall  not  be  a  party  to  it." 

264 


Vengeance  of  the  Men  of  Chili 

The  house  of  young  Almagro  stood  in  the  square  of  Lima 
next  to  the  cathedral,  to  which  on  holy  days  the  governor 
went  regularly  to  hear  mass.  It  was  resolved  that,  on 
the  following  Sunday,  the  chief  conspirators,  eighteen  or 
twenty  in  number,  should  assemble  in  Almagro's  house, 
and  as  Pizarro  left  the  cathedral  he  should  be  set  upon 
and  slain. 

When  all  had  been  settled,  and,  almost  in  whispers,  as 
they  sat  close  together  about  their  table,  the  last  words 
had  been  said,  one  of  them — ^but  who  is  unknown — ^sud- 
denly became  fearful  of  doing  the  deed  to  which  he  had 
set  his  hand.  That  day  he  confessed  the  intended  crime 
to  his  confessor,  and  the  priest,  hurrying  from  the  con- 
fessional box,  went  straightway  to  the  house  of  Pizarro. 
Picado  saw  him  immediately,  and  was  told  the  whole  plot. 
Instantly  the  secretary  carried  the  news  to  Pizarro  as  he 
sat  at  supper. 

A  scornful  smile  rose  on  the  pale  face  of  Pizarro. 

"  A  fool's  tale  !  "  was  all  he  said.  "  1  suppose  the  priest 
wants  a  mitre." 

Velasquez,  the  chief  judge,  was  sitting  with  him,  and 
laughed  boastfully. 

"  Have  no  fear,  Picado,"  he  said,  "  for  no  harm  shall 
come  to  his  Excellency  while  the  rod  of  justice  is  in  my 
hands." 

Thus  with  scorn  and  boast  the  doomed  governor  treated 
the  plot  of  desperate  men  as  of  no  moment. 

Nevertheless,  when  Sunday  came,  by  the  repeated 
advice  of  Picado,  his  master  was  persuaded  to  pretend 
to  be  unwell  and  to  stay  away  from  mass. 

Meanwhile,  in  the  house  next  the  cathedral,  the  con- 
spirators sat  in  a  lower  room,  with  their  swords  ready 
to  their  hand.     Two  of  their  number  watched  at   the 

265 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

windows  from  behind  heavy  curtains.  They  saw  the 
people  come  to  the  cathedral,  but  the  governor,  with  his 
two  or  three  intimates,  was  not  among  them,  and  they 
wondered. 

"  Doubtless,"  said  some  of  those  in  the  room,  "  he  has 
entered,  but  you  missed  him  in  the  crowd.  When  folk 
press  together  it  is  hard  to  distinguish  one  or  two  among 
them.  Wait  till  mass  is  done,  and  two  or  three  of  us  will 
then  go  out  and  mingle  with  the  people." 

This  was  agreed  upon,  and  when  mass  was  over  and  the 
people  began  to  issue  from  the  cathedral,  three  of  the  men 
went  out  to  watch.  It  was  arranged  that  when  Pizarro 
came  forth,  one  of  their  number  should  run  back;  to  those 
waiting  in  the  house  and  tell  them. 

IMingling  with  a  few  townspeople  who  stood  waiting  for 
friends  to  come  from  mass,  one  of  the  conspirators  asked 
if  the  governor  were  still  in  the  church. 

"  He  has  not  been  to  mass,  serior,"  said  a  fat  citizen  ; 
"  they  say  he  is  unwell  and  has  stayed  in  the  house  this 
morning." 

The  man  of  Chili  murmured  his  thanks,  and  then,  going 
to  his  two  fellows,  told  them  what  he  had  learned.  Con- 
sternation was  in  the  faces  of  all  three. 

"  Our  plot  is  discovered,"  said  one.  "  He  has  kept 
away  to  foil  us,  and  unless  we  strike  now  we  shall  be 
swinging  on  the  gallows  by  to-night.  Let  us  get  back  to 
the  others." 

They  reached  the  house  and  told  their  comrades.  Then 
arose  a  babel  of  contrary  advice.  Some  cried  that  as  their 
plot  was  discovered  they  should  scatter  and  hide,  or  they 
would  be  immediately  captured. 

"  Perhaps,  after  all,"  said  others,  "  he  does  not  know 
of  our  plot.     If  we  separate  we  shall  be  safe." 

266 


Vengeance  of  the   Men   of  Chili 

"  Out  upon  such  cowards'  talk;,"  said  others,  ami  these 
were  in  the  majority.  ""  We  must  do  the  deed  for  which 
we  have  met.  If  we  slay  him  not  now,  the  noose  wll  be 
tight  round  our  necks,  and  we  shall  not  even  have  struck 
a  blow  at  the  tyrant." 

But  some  still  cried  out  for  abandoning  all  further 
plotting,  and  said  that  now  was  their  time  to  disband  and 
save  themselves. 

Suddenly,  from  the  place  where,  since  the  news  had 
come,  he  had  been  sitting  in  gloomy  silence,  Rada  started 
up,  and,  rushing  to  the  door  of  the  house,  he  flung  it 
open. 

"  Now,"  he  said,  his  eyes  flaming,  his  face  pale  with 
passion,  "follow  me  all  of  ye,  or  I  will  shout  the  plot  from 
the  housetops." 

Those  that  had  been  ready  now  eagerly  rose  at  his  call, 
and  those  who  had  counselled  abandoning  the  plot,  for 
very  shame  and  fear  rose  too  and  joined  them.  With 
Rada  at  their  head,  all  rushed  into  the  square,  shouting  : 

"  Long  hve  the  King  !     Death  to  the  tyrant  !  " 

It  was  the  hour  of  noon,  and  the  streets  and  square  were 
deserted,  for  the  town  was  at  dinner.  But  at  the  cries, 
people  issued  from  their  houses  in  the  square  to  inquire 
the  cause.  They  listened  to  the  repeated  cries  as  the 
conspirators,  swords  flashing  in  their  hands,  ran  in  a  body 
across  the  wide  square. 

"  They  are  going  to  kill  the  marquis  !  "  said  some,  and 
shrugged  their  shoulders. 

"No,"  said  others,  "it  must  be  Picado  upon  whom 
they  wish  to  have  vengeance.  He  has  really  treated  those 
poor  fellows  of  Chili  very  badly." 

They  stood  in  groups,  chatting,  with  their  eyes  on  the 
gateway  leading  to  the  house  of  the  governor.    Tlie  power 

267 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

of  Pizarm  was  not  seated  in  the  hearts  of  the  people  over 
whom  he  ruled. 

As  the  men  of  Chili  rushed  across  the  square,  one  of  them, 
Gomez  Perez  by  name,  made  a  circuit  to  avoid  splashing 
in  a  pool  of  water. 

"  What  !  "  cried  Rada,  checking  for  a  moment  in  his 
mad  rush,  "  afraid  of  wetting  your  feet,  when  you  go  to 
wade  knee-deep  in  blood.     Away  and  home  with  you  !  " 

The  man  slunk  aside,  and  the  others  swept  past  him 
into  the  outer  courtyard  of  the  governor's  house.  This 
they  found  to  be  empty,  and  they  rushed  on  into  the  inner 
courtyard.  Here  two  men-servants  met  them.  One  they 
struck  down,  but  the  other  one  fled,  shrieking,  to  the  door 
of  the  house,  crying  : 

"  Help  !  Help  !  The  men  of  Chili  are  coming  to  murder 
the  marquis." 

In  an  upper  room  sat  Pizarro  at  his  dinner,  and  with 
him  were  fifteen  or  twenty  of  the  principal  men  of  the 
town,  who  had  come  in  after  mass  to  ask  after  the  health 
of  the  governor.  Hearing  the  uproar  below,  some  of  them 
went  out  to  a  lower  landing,  and  hearing  plainly  the  words 
cried  by  the  man-servant,  they  ran  to  a  verandah  at  the 
back  of  the  house,  from  which  they  let  themselves  down 
into  the  garden  and  fled  away.  Among  them  was  Velas- 
quez the  judge,  who  had  with  him  his  rod  of  justice,  and 
so  that  he  should  use  his  hands  freely  in  climbing  down 
he  held  the  rod  in  his  mouth. 

Meanwhile,  the  men  of  Chili  had  entered  the  house  and 
were  mounting  the  stairs,  driving  one  of  Pizarro's  guests 
before  them.  He,  bursting  into  the  room,  told  the 
governor  that  men  had  come  to  murder  him.  Pizarro 
instantly  started  up,  and  commanded  one  of  his  friends, 
Francisco  de  Chaves,  to  secure  the  door  of  the  ante-room 

268 


A  point  of  steel  was  in  his  throat 


268 


Vengeance  of  the   Men   of  Chili 

leading  to  the  stairs.  Then  Pizarro  hastened,  with  a  kins- 
man named  Alcantara,  into  an  inner  room,  and  together 
they  began  hastily  buckling  on  Pizarro's  armour. 

If  Chaves  had  done  as  Pizarro  had  commanded  him,  the 
conspirators  would  have  been  baffled,  since  the  door  was 
stout,  and  Chaves  and  those  with  him  could  have  kept 
them  at  bay  until  the  cavaliers  who  had  fled  could  bring 
aid.  But  Chaves  half  opened  the  door,  and,  glancing  out, 
saw  Rada  and  his  fellows  just  leaping  up  the  last  of  the 
stairs.  In  a  moment  they  reached  the  door,  and  he  cried 
to  them  : 

"  How  dare  you  enter  the  house  of  the " 

Before  he  could  finish  his  words,  Rada  thrust  his  sword 
at  him  and  ran  it  through  his  body.  Tlien  he  and  his  men 
dashed  into  the  room,  where  Chaves'  friends  made  play 
with  their  weapons.  But  it  was  for  a  few  moments  only. 
Soon  they  too  were  despatched,  and  then  Rada  and  the 
others  ran  across  the  apartment,  crying  : 

"  Where  is  the  marquis  ?  Death  to  the  tyrant !  " 
As  the  hoarse  voices  rang  out  so  near  them,  Alcantara 
knew  that  the  ante-room  had  not  been  secured.  Leaving 
Pizarro,  therefore,  who  was  still  only  half  armed,  he  ran 
toward  the  door  of  the  room,  with  two  young  pages  who 
had  been  assisting,  and  two  cavaliers  who  were  also  in  the 
chamber. 

Before  they  could  bar  the  half-open  door  it  was  dashed 
open  by  the  kicks  of  the  conspirators,  and  instantly  a 
dreadful  hand-to-hand  struggle  began.  Swords  flickered 
and  thrust,  ground  against  resisting  steel,  or  hit  the  wood 
of  the  doorway.  Several  wounds  were  exchanged  on 
either  side.  Suddenly  a  man  among  the  conspirators 
shrieked,  clutched  his  throat  as  his  sword  dropped  from 
his  hand,  and  sank  down  among  the  feet  of  his  fellows. 

269 


The   Conquerors   of  Peru 

Then  another,  'with  a  groan,  gave  way  and  withdrew, 
tottering  across  the  i-oom,  while  a  comrade  tools  his  place. 
Already  the  two  young  pages,  after  fighting  gallantly,  had 
fallen,  and  Alcantara  was  wounded  in  many  places. 

Pizarro,  in  the  room  behind,  was  struggling  with  the 
buckles  of  his  cuirass.  At  length,  with  a  curse,  he  threw  it 
from  him,  then  wrapping  a  cloak  around  his  left  arm  he 
seized  his  sword  and  sprang  to  the  aid  of  his  kinsman. 
The  latter  was  already  exhausted  from  loss  of  blood,  and 
as  Pizarro  reached  his  side  he  fell. 

With  the  fury  of  a  lion  the  governor  threw  himself  upon 
the  conspirators,  and  with  such  fierceness  and  force  did  he 
attack  them  that  two  fell  before  his  sword  and  the  others 
gave  way. 

"  What,  traitors  !  "  he  cried,  "  would  you  kill  me  in  my 
own  house  ?  " 

Without  a  word  the  men  of  Chili  dashed  at  him  and  the 
two  cavaliers  who  still  fought  beside  him.  So  swift  and 
keen  were  his  strokes,  however,  and  so  strong  his  guard, 
that  it  seemed  that  age  had  no  power  to  diminish  his 
force.  For  some  moments  the  grinding  and  beat  of  steel 
in  the  narrow  doorway  continued,  until  Rada,  impatient 
of  the  delay,  cried  : 

"  Why  are  we  so  long  about  it  ?    Down  with  the  tyrant ! " 

Saying  this,  he  thrust  one  of  his  comrades  toward  Pizarro, 
who  ran  the  man  through  the  body.  Before  he  could 
withdraw  his  sword,  however,  a  point  of  steel  was  in  his 
throat.  He  reeled  to  the  floor,  and  the  swords  of  Rada 
and  several  of  the  others  were  plunged  into  his  body. 

"  Jesu  !  "  panted  the  dying  man.  With  a  finger  as  he 
half  reclined  he  traced  a  red  cross  on  the  floor,  then  bent 
toward  it  to  kiss  the  holy  sign.  But  another  blow  was 
given  him,  and  he  sank  dead  upon  the  floor. 

270 


CHAPTER    XVIII 

The  Last  of  the   Men  of  Chili 

NEARLY  a  year  had  passed  since  the  assassination 
of  Pizarro,  and  it  was  the  early  summer  of  1542. 
The  great  square  of  Cuzco  was  filled  with  ranks 
of  armed  men,  some  of  whom,  in  complete  armour,  were  on 
horseback,  while  the  footmen,  some  with  pikes  and  others 
with  harquebuses,  formed  long  lines  between  the  bodies 
of  cavalry.  In  front  of  the  little  army  were  a  number  of 
cannon,  of  so  fine  an  appearance  and  of  such  number  that 
never  before  had  so  many  been  seen  together  in  the 
kingdom  of  Peru.  The  cunning  Greek,  Pedro  de  Candia, 
and  his  Levantine  countrymen  had  made  them.  Sixteen 
they  were  in  number,  and  formed  as  good  a  sho%\ing  as 
merited  a  place  in  the  finest  citadel  of  Spain. 

Presently  a  clear  bugle  call  sounded,  and  into  the  square 
rode  a  young  man  closely  followed  by  two  officers.  He 
advanced  until  he  reached  a  spot  in  front  of  the  ranks  of 
men,  and  then,  lifting  his  hand,  he  silenced  the  cheers  that 
rang  out  at  his  appearance.  This  was  young  Diego  de 
Almagro,  who,  with  all  the  qualities  of  his  father  which 
endeared  him  to  every  soldier,  also  excited  their  devotion 
and  sympathy  by  the  forlorn  position  in  which  he  was 
placed. 

All,  indeed,  were  knitted  together — soldiers  and  leader 
— in  a  common  cause  which  must  be  seen  through  to  the 
end.    And  success,  if  attained,  would  be  almost  as  dreadful 

271 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

as  defeat.  For  they  met  together  with  intent  to  go  forth 
and  fight  the  representative  of  the  emperor  himself,  and 
if  victory  attended  their  arms  they  would  be  deeper  in 
treason  against  the  sovereign  to  whom  all  wished,  as 
good  and  devoted  Spaniards,  to  be  wholly  loyal. 

"  Men  of  Chili  !  "  came  the  clear,  young  voice  of  their 
leader.  He  was  still  a  boy ;  hardly  twenty-two,  yet 
already  he  had  proved  himself  equal  to  the  sad  necessities 
of  his  fate,  and  in  energy,  forethought  and  self-reliance  he 
was  the  equal  of  men  seasoned  by  years  of  warfare. 

"  You  know  what  stern  necessity  has  brought  us  to 
this  pass,"  he  went  on,  "  and  I  cannot  see  that  we  could 
have  done  otherwise  than  we  have  done.  You  know  the 
tyranny  which  forced  you  to  put  an  end  to  the  governor 
and  to  seize  the  province.  Long  and  patiently  did  we 
wait  for  the  representative  of  the  emperor  to  come,  but 
he  delayed,  and  we  could  wait  no  longer.  But  after  we 
had  risen  against  the  man  who  caused  our  miseries  and 
scoffed  at  our  wretchedness,  the  emperor's  officer,  Vaca 
de  Castro,  comes  to  demand  our  submission,  and  will  not 
listen  to  our  cause.  He  will  not  make  peace  with  us  ; 
therefore  he  drives  us  to  take  arms  against  him.  He  will 
not  suffer  us  to  retire  to  the  territory  granted  to  my  father 
by  the  emperor,  so  that  we  may  live  in  peace  ;  therefore 
we  have  no  other  appeal  than  to  arms.  Nevertheless  I 
declare  here,  before  the  face  of  Heaven,  that  in  our  hearts 
there  is  no  rebellion  against  our  august  master,  the 
emperor." 

His  voice  was  drowned  in  the  passionate  shout  of  assent 
which  rose  from  every  throat. 

"  We  are  forced  to  this  by  the  new  governor  himself. 
Vaca  de  Castro  has  exceeded  the  authority  granted  to  him 
by  his  royal  master,  therefore  the  blood  that  may  be  spilled 

272 


The   Last  of  the   Men  of  Chili 

must  be  upon  his  head,  and  not  on  mine.  In  the  assassina- 
tion of  the  tyrant  Pizarro,  we  took  into  our  own  hands 
that  justice  which  he  denied  us.  In  this  contest  with  the 
officer  of  his  Majesty,  we  seek  justice,  but  we  are  as  true- 
hearted  and  as  loyal  subjects  of  the  emperor  as  is  the 
governor  himself." 

Loud  and  prolonged  was  the  cheering  which  greeted 
the  ending  of  the  young  leader's  speech.  Then  one  of  the 
veterans  of  his  father,  standing  forth,  said  : 

"  Don  Diego,  you  have  uttered  the  words  which  are  in 
all  our  hearts.  We  have  now  only  to  prove  to  you,  what 
we  here  assert,  that  one  and  all  swear  to  brave  every  peril 
and  every  disaster,  and  to  remain  true  to  you  to  the  end." 

Again  a  hoarse  shout  of  passion  rose  in  assent.  Some- 
one from  the  crowd  standing  about  brought  an  altar,  on 
which  was  raised  a  cross,  and  this  having  been  placed  before 
the  men,  they  ran  up  eagerly,  rank;  after  rank,  and  as  each 
man  came  to  it  he  placed  his  hand  on  the  cross,  uttering 
the  words  :  "  I  swear  !  "  Many  wept  as  they  did  this,  and 
all  were  greatly  moved. 

Then  the  word  was  given  to  depart,  and  with  a  flourish 
of  trumpets  the  little  army,  numbering  some  five  hundred 
men,  tramped  out  of  the  square,  the  guns  rumbling  on 
before  them. 

Much  had  happened  since  that  day  in  the  previous 
summer  when  the  men  of  Chili,  after  slaying  the  tyrant, 
ran  through  the  streets  of  Lima  declaring  their  deed,  and 
calling  their  adherents  to  rally  to  them.  For  a  time  all 
seemed  to  go  well.  Most  of  the  towns  had  submitted, 
without  resistance,  to  the  demands  of  the  Almagrians,  who 
had  immediately  ousted  the  officials  of  Pizarro  and  re- 
placed them  by  sympathizers  with  their  own  cause. 

The  first  check  had  been  from  Alonso  de  Alvarado,  the 

s  273 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

general  who,  it  will  be  remembered,  had  been  defeated  by- 
old  Almagro  at  the  river  of  Abancay.  On  receiving  news 
of  the  slaying  of  Pizarro,  he  had  instantly  sent  a  messenger 
to  the  emperor's  officer,  Vaca  de  Castro.  This  functionary 
had  landed  in  the  north  after  a  long  and  tempestuous 
voyage  from  Spain,  and  being  disgusted  with  the  dangers 
of  the  sea,  he  had  resolved  to  reach  Peai  by  land. 

So  slowly  did  he  advance  that  it  was  some  months  before 
he  reached  Quito,  where  he  was  met  by  Alvarado  and  the 
captain,  Belalcazar,  both  of  whom  brought  troops  with 
them.  Vaca  de  Castro  produced  his  authority  from  the 
emperor,  under  which  he  was  empowered,  in  case  of  need, 
to  assume  the  office  of  governor,  and  he  immediately  sent 
emissaries  to  the  principal  cities  requiring  their  adherence 
to  him  as  the  lawful  representative  of  their  monarch. 

Meanwhile,  however,  the  forces  of  Almagro  had  in- 
creased ;  supplies  and  arms  and  money  were  got  together, 
and  the  soldiers,  many  of  whom  had  hitherto  been  half- 
destitute,  were  every  day  assuming  the  appearance  of  good 
fighting  men.  Much  treasure  of  gold  and  silver  was  dis- 
covered in  the  house  of  Pizarro,  and  the  secretary,  Picado, 
was  ordered  to  reveal  the  hiding-places  of  other  wealth 
which  it  was  believed  the  marquis  had  possessed.  This, 
however,  he  would  not  or,  more  probably,  could  not  do, 
and  was  therefore  taken  to  the  public  square  and  beheaded 
without  further  ado  in  front  of  the  house  where  he  had 
flaunted  his  wealth  before  the  starving  conspirators  a  few 
short  weeks  before. 

Demand  had  been  sent  to  Cuzco  requiring  Holguin,  the 
commanding  officer  there,  to  hand  over  the  city  to  one 
of  young  Almagro 's  friends ;  but  Holguin  refused,  and 
instantly  set  forth  with  some  two  himdred  men  to  join 
Alvarado  in  the  north.     This  M^as  quickly  reported  to 

274 


The   Last  of  the   Men   of  Chili 

Aliiiagro,  and  Rada,  his  chief  officer,  advised  that  he  should 
be  prevented  from  doing  this.  After  some  delay,  pursuit 
was  made,  but  the  expedition  failed,  and  Holguin  joined 
Alvarado. 

Almagro  then  marched  south,  intending  to  occupy 
Cuzco,  which  he  considered  to  He  within  the  territory 
granted  to  his  father  by  the  emperor.  On  the  way,  Juan 
de  Rada,  who  was  a  man  advanced  in  years,  fell  into  a 
fever  and  died,  thus  depriving  the  young  leader  of  the  one 
man  in  whose  knowledge  of  military  matters  he  could 
wholly  depend .  Much  grieving  for  this  great  loss,  Almagro 
continued  his  journey  to  Cuzco,  whence  he  sent  an  embassy 
to  the  new  governor,  who  by  that  time  had  reached  Lima . 

In  his  letter  to  Vaca  de  Castro  he  said  that  he  had  no 
desire  to  take  arms  against  the  officer  of  the  Crown,  but 
that  he  must  secure  the  possession  of  the  territory  which 
belonged  to  him  as  the  heir  of  his  father.  He  proposed, 
therefore,  that  each  party  should  remain  in  their  own  terri- 
tory until  the  Court  of  Castile  had  decided  between  them. 

As  no  reply  was  sent  in  answer  to  this  respectful  de- 
mand, but  instead  news  came  that  Vaca  de  Castro  was 
actively  preparing  an  army,  Almagro  saw  no  other  course 
open  save  an  appeal  to  arms,  and  therefore  set  forth  with 
his  men  to  meet  the  army  of  the  royal  governor. 

It  was  the  middle  of  September,  late  in  the  day,  before 
the  two  hostile  armies  faced  each  other,  on  the  plains  of 
Chupas.  De  Castro,  though  only  a  man  of  law  and  no 
soldier,  drew  up  his  army  with  skill.  He  had  little  artillery, 
and  these  he  placed  with  his  infantry  in  the  centre  of  his 
army,  the  flanks  being  occupied  by  cavalry.  On  the  right 
wing  was  Alvarado,  who  had  the  royal  standard  with  him, 
while  on  the  left  was  Holguin.  De  Castro  himself  was  at 
the  head  of  a  reserve  of  forty  cavalry,  which  he  designed 

275 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

to  use  in  whichever  part  of  the  field  he  saw  support  was 
wanted. 

After  a  short  address  to  his  soldiers,  he  gave  the  order 
to  advance.  Almagro's  forces  were  drawn  up  on  rising 
ground  about  a  mile  distant,  and  their  disposition  was 
similar  to  that  of  the  royal  army.  When  the  royalists 
came  within  range,  Almagro  ordered  the  guns  to  open 
upon  them.  The  effect  upon  the  enemy  was  great.  They 
wavered  and  seemed  confused.  But  soon  they  were  seen 
to  take  a  route  which  wound  below  the  rising  ground,  so 
that  for  most  part  of  the  way  they  were  hidden. 

Wlien  they  appeared  again,  quite  near  the  Almagrians, 
their  array  made  an  excellent  mark  for  the  artillery,  and 
the  young  leader  gave  orders  to  Pedro  de  Candia  to  fire 
the  whole  of  the  cannon  at  the  approaching  enemy.  The 
effect  of  the  first  volley  was  tremendous  ;  gaps  appeared 
in  the  ranks  of  the  pikemen  and  harquebusiers,  while 
riderless  horses  started  from  among  the  cavalry  and 
rushed  away. 

Again  the  order  was  given  to  fire,  but  this  time  the  shots 
passed  harmlessly  over  the  heads  of  the  still  advancing  foe. 

"  Aim  lower,"  shouted  Almagro  to  de  Candia,  who  stood 
ordering  the  gunners.  De  Candia  muttered  something  in 
a  sullen  manner,  and  gave  again  the  order  to  fire.  But  a 
second  time  the  shot  hurtled  over  the  heads  of  de  Castro's 
army. 

"  What  means  this  ?  "  cried  Almagro,  dashing  his  horse 
to  the  side  of  the  artillery  officer.  "  Are  you  a  traitor  ? 
Has  de  Castro  been  tampering  with  you  that  you  will  not 
aim  at  his  troops  ?  " 

The  other's  sullen  lace  fell  before  the  flashing  eyes  of 
young  Almagro, 

"  1  want  no  rebel  boy  to  teach  me  what  to  do,"  he  said. 

276 


The   Last  of  the   Men   of  Chili 

Like  a  flash  the  sword  of  Almagro  whipped  through  the 
air  and  sank  in  the  breast  of  the  treacherous  Greek,  who, 
clutching  at  the  air  with  his  hands,  sank  dead  to  the 
ground. 

"  The  traitor  !  "  cried  Ahiiagro.  "  He  could  not  forget 
he  was  one  of  Pizarro's  faithful  thirteen,  I  suppose." 

Leaping  from  his  horse,  he  ordered  the  nearest  gun  to  be 
charged  again,  and  aiming  it  himself,  he  saw  his  shot 
plough  with  deadly  effect  through  the  cavalry,  killing 
some  six  horsemen  and  wounding  others. 

The  next  volley  swept  away  a  whole  rank  of  the  royal 
infantry,  and  the  Almagrians  could  see  the  officers  driving 
the  halting  men  for^vard  to  take  the  place  where  their 
comrades  had  fallen.  The  royalists  tried  to  bring  their 
own  cannons  into  play,  but  the  fire  from  Almagro's  guns 
made  it  impossible.  The  clumsy  pieces  were  left  behind 
on  the  field,  and  Alvarado  gave  the  order  to  charge.  The 
trumpets  sounded,  cries  of  "  Saint  Jago  and  the  King  !  " 
arose,  and,  striking  spurs  into  their  horses,  the  cavaliers 
dashed  up  the  sloping  ground  towards  the  foe. 

Then  Almagro  made  his  fatal  error.  If  he  had  stayed 
where  he  was  and  coolly  used  his  artillery  against  the 
advancing  enemj-,  only  a  few  of  them  would  have  reached 
his  line.  But,  from  a  false  sense  of  knightly  honour,  he 
felt  it  a  shameful  act  passively  to  await  the  attack  of  the 
foe.  He  therefore  gave  orders  to  advance,  and  placing 
himself  at  the  head  of  his  cavalry,  he  met  the  royal 
cavaliers  half  way  down  the  slope. 

Almost  all  the  lances  shivered  as  the  opposing  forces 
met,  horses  and  riders  reeled  away  in  death,  and  for  a 
moment  the  horsemen  that  were  left  recoiled  with  the 
force  of  the  crash.  Next  moment,  drawing  their  swords, 
maces  and  battle-axes,  the  cavaliers   threw  themselves 

277 


The   Conquerors  of  Peru 

upon  each  other  with  furious  hatred — ^the  more  bitter 
since  many  of  them  were  brothers,  cousins  or  friends, 
alienated  by  the  quarrel  between  their  old  leaders. 

The  artillery  on  Almagro's  side  continued  to  pour 
volleys  of  shot  upon  the  advancing  infantry,  but  the 
latter,  under  the  command  of  their  brave  leader,  Francisco 
de  Carbajal,  pressed  gallantly  forward,  and  reaching  the 
guns  they  cut  down  the  gunners,  who  were  now  unsup- 
ported by  the  cavalry,  and  thus  gained  command  of  the 
artillery. 

The  battle  between  the  cavalry  was  hard  and  bitter, 
but  the  Almagrians  were  outnumbered.  Nevertheless,  so 
bravely  did  they  fight  that  for  a  long  time,  in  the  gathering 
gloom  of  the  evening,  it  was  doubtful  which  side  would 
have  the  victory. 

The  right  flank  of  the  Almagrians  just  held  its  own 
against  the  opponents,  but  on  the  left  wing,  commanded 
by  young  Almagro  in  person,  the  enemy,  at  the  head  of 
which  was  Alvarado,  worse  mounted  and  worse  armed, 
was  borne  back  again  and  again  by  the  charges  made  by 
the  impetuous  young  leader.  Already  he  had  taken  the 
royal  banner,  and,  generous  in  the  sense  of  victory, 
shouted,  "  Take,  but  kill  not  !  " 

Details  of  the  progress  of  the  fight  were  carried  con- 
tinuously to  de  Castro  in  the  rear,  and  at  this  moment 
he  decided  to  advance  with  the  forty  horsemen  held  in 
reserve.  He  dashed  forward  in  relief  of  Alvarado,  whose 
men,  cheered  by  the  timely  support,  gained  heart,  raised 
deafening  cheers,  and  charged  the  Almagrians  with  great 
spirit.  The  men  of  Chili  made  one  more  desperate  effort, 
thirteen  of  de  Castro's  fresh  men  reeled  dead  from  their 
saddles  ;  but  the  Almagrians  could  do  no  more. 

Outnumbered  and  spent  with  battle,  they  gave  way  and 

278 


The  Last  of  the   Men  of  Chili 

began  to  flee  in  all  directions.  Young  Almagro  used  every 
effort  to  stay  them,  but  in  vain.  Soon  the  dark  battle- 
field was  deserted,  except  by  the  dead  and  the  dying,  and 
streaming  over  the  country  were  flying  and  pursuing  horse- 
men. Here  and  there  one  with  a  red  scarf  on  his  arm  came 
up  with  one  who  bore  a  white  scarf,  and  ruthlessly  cut  him 
down. 

Young  Almagro,  borne  from  the  field  with  his  men,  rode 
into  Cuzco,  and,  sick  with  defeat,  made  no  resistance  when 
the  magistrates,  meeting  him,  ordered  him  to  be  arrested. 
He  was  lodged  in  prison,  indifferent  to  his  fate. 

Next  day,  such  was  the  severity  with  which  de  Castro 
dealt  with  the  prisoners  he  had  taken,  forty  of  them  were 
executed  on  the  spot  and  thirty  others  were  banished.  The 
governor  then  proceeded  to  Cuzco,  which  he  entered  with 
all  the  pomp  and  military  display  of  a  conqueror. 

Almost  immediately  he  called  a  council  of  war  to  decide 
the  fate  of  young  Almagro.  Some  were  for  sparing  him, 
on  account  of  his  youth,  and  the  injustice  which  had 
forced  him  into  rebellion  ;  but  the  majority  decided  that 
mercy  could  not  be  shown  to  the  leader  of  this  treasonable 
rising. 

Being  led  out  to  execution  in  the  great  square  of  Cuzco, 
young  Almagro  showed  a  dauntless  bearing.  When,  how- 
ever, the  herald  proclaimed  the  reason  of  his  being  doomed 
to  death,  he  cried  : 

"  I  am  no  traitor  !  I  am  as  devoutly  loyal  to  my  king 
as  any  man  here,  but  the  injustice  under  which  I  suffered 
forced  me  to  do  what  I  have  done.  I  make  no  appeal  for 
mercy  to  any  ;  all  I  ask  is  that  my  bones  may  be  laid 
beside  those  of  my  father,  as  unjustly  done  to  death  as  I 
am." 

He  refused  to  have  his  eyes  bandaged,  and  having 

279 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 

kissed  the  cross,  he  quietly  placed  his  head  upon  the 
block,  and  suffered  the  stroke  of  death  with  calmness. 

With  him  the  name  of  Almagro  became  extinct,  and  the 
men  of  Chili,  so  long  a  menace  to  the  land,  passed  away 
for  ever. 

The  history  of  the  chief  actors  in  the  conquest  of  Peru 
ends  with  the  death  of  young  Almagro,  the  son  of  Pizarro's 
chief  companion  in  the  daring  and  tragic  venture  which, 
in  spite  of  the  contemptuous  disbelief  of  many  and  in  face 
of  almost  insuperable  difficulties,  the  two  Spanish  soldiers 
of  fortune  had  brought  to  a  successful  conclusion. 

The  later  history  of  the  dominion  of  the  Spanish  in 
Peru  has  little  of  the  romance  and  heroism  which  forms 
part  of  the  conquest.  The  cruel  treatment  of  the  Indians, 
exciting  the  pity  of  noble-hearted  men  hke  Las  Casas, 
forced  the  government  to  endeavour  to  impose  laws  upon 
the  colonists,  which  the  latter  bitterly  resented.  Rebel- 
lion broke  out,  and  was  only  crushed  after  much  blood- 
shed, and  Gonzalo  Pizarro,  who  had  led  the  revolt,  suffered 
execution  on  the  field  of  battle. 

The  two  viceroys  who  ruled  the  country  for  the  Spanish 
crown  from  1551  to  1580  did  something  to  limit  the  almost 
despotic  power  of  the  colonists  over  their  Indian  slaves, 
but  transgression  of  the  laws  caused  misery  and  depopula- 
tion for  some  two  hundred  years.  The  Indians  themselves 
rose  against  their  masters  in  1780,  and  under  the  leader- 
ship of  a  descendant  of  the  Incas  strove  to  put  an  end  to 
all  their  wrongs.  The  revolt  was  crushed,  but  the  seeds  of 
hberty  were  not  wholly  destroyed,  and  in  1821,  with  the 
assistance  of  our  own  Lord  Dundonald,  the  independence 
of  Peru  was  proclaimed,  and  the  grasping  and  inhuman 
rule  of  Spain  was  at  an  end. 

280      ^ 


INDEX 


Ind 


ex 


Abancay,  river,  234,  274 

Adelantado,  69,  71,  89 

Alcantara,  Office  of,  269,  270 

Aldana,  137 

Algniacil,  Mayor,  69,  89 

Almagro,  Don  Diego  de,  I.  — 16,  17, 
19,  20,  21,  30,  32,  33,  34,  35,  38, 
40,  41,  42,  43,  44,  47,  50,  53,  54, 
62,  63,  64,  65,  66,  70,  76,  130, 
167,  168,  169,  170,  172,  173,  174, 
175,  176,  177,  182,  183,  184,  185, 
186,  187,  191,  200,  201,  212,  213, 
214,  215,  216,  217,  218,  220,  227, 
228,  229,  230,  232,  233,  234,  235, 
236,  237,  238,  239,  240,  241,  242, 
243,  244,  245,  246,  247,  249,  250, 
252,  253,  254,  255,  256,  257,  259, 
260,261,262,274;  11.-253,254, 
258,  259,  262,  264,  265,  271,  272, 
273,  274,  275,  276,  277,  278,  279, 
280 

Alonzo  de  Rieda,  225 

Altimorono,  Antonio,  128 

Alvarado,  Alonso  de,  230,  232,  233, 
234,  235,  237,  238,  249,  273,  274, 
275.  277,  278 

Alvarado,  Diego  de,  236,  237,  246, 
247.  255 

America,  15 

Andagoya,  Don  Fascual  de,  17,  25 

Andes,  the,  107,  118,  236 

Arequipa,  230 

Atacama,  desert,  229 

Atahualpa,  Inca  King,  91,  92,  102, 
103,  105,  106,  115,  117,  118,  124, 
131,  136,  138,  142,  144,  149,  150, 
151.  153,  154,  156,  157,  170,  178, 
180,  181,  1S2,  190,  191 

Atahualpa,  Juan  de,  191 

Aztecs,  the,  67,  81 


Balboa,  Vasco  Nunez  de,  18,  19,  25, 

26 
Belalcazar,  Captain,  74,  274 
Bilcas,  246 
Biru,  river,  21 

Callao,  260 

Candia,  Pedro  de,   47,   48,  50,   58, 

59,  66,  68,   70,  84,  85,   86,   133, 

271,  276 
Capac,  Huayna,  91,  171 
Carbajal,  Francisco  de,  27S 
Caribs,  the,  14 
Casco,  26 

Castile,  18,  81,  89,  193,  210,  242,  275 
Castro,  Don  Vaca  de,  262,  272,  274, 

275,  276,  278,  279 
Caxamalca,  103,  104,  105,  106,  115, 

119,  125,  142,  149,  150,  153,  157, 

158,  167,  170,  177,  183,  196,  209 
Caxamarca.     See  Caxamalca 
Caxas,  loo,  loi,  102,  103 
Charles,   Emperor,    16,  65,  68,  88, 

89,  137,  138.  177 
Chaves,  Francisco  de,  26S,  269 
Chicama,  30 

Child  of  the  Sun,  63,  194 
Chili,  212,  216,  227,  22S,  229,  231, 

242,  245,  257,  262,  263,  264,  266, 

267,  268,  270,  278,  280 
Chimborazo,  55 
Chincha,  238,  239,  241,  244 
Chupas,  Plains  of,  275 
Comagre,  Chief,  26 
Coquimbo,  228 
Cordilleras,  the,  95,  158,  196,  197, 

212,  222 
Corral,  the  Licentiate,  65 
Cort6s,  Hernando.  16,  17,  32,  70,  81, 

93.  132 


283 


The  Conquerors  of  Peru 


Cotopaxi,  55 

Cuzco,  City  of,  58,  91,  108,  148,  149, 
152,  158,  172,  177,  1S4,  194,  196, 
197,  201,  202,  209,  212,  214,  215, 
216,  218,  220,  221,  226,  228,  229, 
230,  231,  233,  235,  236,  238,  239, 
242,  244,  246,  248,  252,  253,  254, 
255.  259,  260,  271,  273,  274,  275, 
279 

Darien,  26 

Diego  de  Alvarado,  236,    237,  246, 

247,  255 
Dios,  Nombre  de,  53 
Dobayba,  15 

DonDiego  de  Almagro.  See  Almagro 
Don  Enrique,  213 
Don  Francisco,  18 
Don  Luque,  14,  19,  43,  45,  50,  53, 

63 
Don  Pascual  de  Andagoya,  13,   14, 

16,  17,  18 
Don  Pedro  de  los  Rios,  44,  45,  53,  63 
Don  Rafael,  213 
Don  Tafur,  45,  46,  47,   48,  49,   50, 

52,  97 
Don  Vaca  de  Castro,  262,  272,  274, 

275,  276,  278,  279 
Don  Zerez,  151 
Dundonald,  Lord,  280 

El  Dorado,  87 
England,  158 
Enrique,  Don,  213 
Espinall,  244,  259,  260 
Espinosa,  33 
Enciso,  Bachelor,  68 
Europe,  214 

Felippo,  an  interpreter,  62,  75,  84, 
85,  86,  87,  89,  100,  loi,  120,  121, 
123,  142,  147,  150,  151,  172,  179, 
180,  182,  185,  i85,  187,  188,  191 
France,  68 
Francisco,  213,  259 
Francisco  de  Carbajal,  278 
Francisco  de  Chaves,  268,  269 
Fray  Vincente    de    Valverde,    128, 
131.  137,  149,  185,  190,  191,  193, 
254.  259 


Gallo,  Island,  45,  46 

Garcia,  26 

Garcilasso  de  la  Vega,  128 

Germany,  68 

Golden  Man,  the  (El  Dorado),  87 

Gonzalo,  215 

Gonzalez,  26 

Gorgona,  50,  51,  62,  69 

Guacabamba,  103,  104 

Guamachucho,  157,  182,  184,  193 

Guayaquil,  gulf,  74 

Herrada,  264 

Holguin,  274,  275 

Huascar  Capac,  91,  100,    122,   149, 

150,  153.  154.  155.  156,  181,  185, 
201 

Huayna  Capac,  91,  171 

Indies,  the,  81 
Italy,  214 

John  the  Baptist,  191 

Juan,  212,  215 

Juan  Rada,  258,  261,  264,  268,  269, 

270,  275 
Juan,  Rio  de  San,  35 

Las  Casas,  280 

Leguisamo,  Mancio  Serra  de,  12S 

Leon,  89 

Leon,  Hernan,  Ponce  de,  256 

Lerma,  Pedro  de,  234,  235,  246 

Lima,  211,  212,  215,  217,  220,  224, 

230,  233,  235,  237,  238,  239,  246, 

253.  257,  262,  265,  273 
Loco,  Father,  34 
Luque,  Father,  30,  32,  33,   34,    43, 

45.  46,  47,  50,  53,  63,  64,  65,  70 

Mala,  239,  241 

Mancio,  Sierra  Leguisamo,  210 

Manco,  201,  202,  210,  216,  218,  221, 

226 
Martin,  213 
Martinillo,  an  interpreter,  62,  137, 

162,  163,  164 
Mercy,  Church  of  our  Lady  of,  256 
Mexico,  16,  32,  132 
Mississippi,  the,  80 


284 


Index 


Molina,  Alonso  de,  57,  58,  59 
Montenegro,  25,  26,  28,  29 
Montillo,  1 78,  190 

Nomljre  de  Dies,  18,  53,  66,  70,  213 

Ojeda,  de,  26 

Orgonez,  214,  217,  228,  231,  232, 
233,  234,  235,  236,  237,  238,  239, 
242,  243,  244,  245,  247,  250,  251, 
252 

Pachacamac,  158,  163,  165,  166 
Panama,    13,    14,    21,    25,   26,    28, 

30,  31.  33>  34,  35,  3S,  39,  4o,  41, 
42,  43,  46,  47,  48,  49,  52,  61,  62, 
66,  68,  69,  72,  73,  79,  88,  94, 
148,  177,  214,  215,  245,  260,  261 

Pascual,  Don  de  Andagoya,  13,  17,  25 

Paulo  Topa,  216 

Pearls,  Isle  of,  26,  31 

Pedrarias,  21,  30,  32 

Pedrillo,  102,  115 

Pedro,  213 

Pedro  de  Candia,  47,  48,  50,  58,  59, 
66,  68,  70,  84,  85,  86,  133,  271, 
276 

Pedro  de  Valdivia,  250 

Pedro,  Don,  44,  45 

Perez,  167,  168,  169,  170 

Perez,  Gomez,  258,  268 

Peru,  20,  31,  34,  48,  58,  63,  74,  So, 

91,  153,  155,  176,  177,  190,  194, 
201,  216-218,  220,  227-230,  242, 
248,  261,  271,  280 

Ficado,  258,  263,  264,  265,  267, 
274 

Pilate,  Pontius,  241 

Pines,  Port  of,  21 

Piru,  river,  21 

Pizarro,  Francisco,  17-95,  97,  99, 
102,  104,  105,  107,  109,  no,  112, 
115,  116,  117,  118,  119,  121,  122, 
126-130,  132,  133,  134,  135,  139- 
158,  167-170,  172-179,  181-189, 
191-193.  196,  200,  218,  224,  228, 
232,  233,  235,  237-243,  245,  250, 
251,  254,  255 

Pizarro,  Oonzalo,  128,  215,  231,  232, 
237,  23S,  241,  246,  249,  250,  2S0 


Pizarro,  Hernando,  17,  79,  87,  90, 
97,  105,  no,  n3,  n5,  121,  122, 
123,  125,  128,  133,  150,  157,  158, 
160,  162,  163,  164,  166,  173,  176, 
177,  212,  213,  214,  215,  220,  221, 
222,  230,  231,  232,  237,  238,  242, 
243,  246,  247,  248,  249,  250,  251, 
253,  254,  255 

Pizarro,  Juan,  215,  217,  220,  221, 
222 

Pizarro,  Pedro,  188,  189 

Pomba,  Garcia,  225 

Puerto  Viejo,  74 

Puna,  74,  75,  76,  77,  78,  84,  86 

Quito,  91,   180,   191,   192,   194,   220, 

274 

Rada,  Juan  de,  258,  261,  264,  268, 

269,  270,  275 
Rafael,  Don,  213 

Slbera,  Nicolas  de,  30,  41,  47,  48 
Rieda,  Alonzo  de,  225 
Rio  de  San  Juan,  35 
Rios,  Don  Pedro  le  los,  53,  63 
Riquelme,  185,  193 
Rodrigo,  233 
Rojas,  de,  221 
Rome,  89,  137,  214 
Ruiz  Bartholomew,  25,  29,  35,  38, 

41,  47,  48,  54,  70 
Ruminavi,  194 

I 

Saavedra,  216 

Salt  Pans,  247 

Sancho  Aquil,  212 

Sancho,  Pedro,  128 

San  Francisco,  176,  192 

San  Miguel,  90,  95,  98,  99,  100,  108, 
14S,  167,  169,  170,  176,  183,  194 

Santiago,  river,  220,  242 

Sarabia,  Juan  de,  42,  45 

Seville,  Harbour  of,  67,  68,  177 

Soto,  de,  79,  So,  87,  S8,  100,  loi, 
104,  ng,  120,  121,  124,  125,  128, 
133,  139,  146,  147,  14S,  176,  178, 
183,  184,  18S,  192,  193,  196,  197, 
198,  199,  200,  201 

Spain,  13,  65,  66,  67,  70,  75,  83, 
S9,   93.   98,    103,    140,    148,    173, 


285 


The  Conquerors   of  Peru 


Spain — con  tin  iced 
lyy,  178,  188,  197,  209,  210,  211, 
217.  235,  237,  242,  261,  280 

Spagno,  179,  180 

St  Domingo,  249 

St  Jago,  198,  231,  277 

St  Matthew,  35 

St  Michael,  Gulf  of,  15,  21,  30 

Tacamez,  39 

Tafur,  Don,  45-50,  52 

Tangarala,  90 

Tierra  Ferme,  15 

Topa,  Paulo,  216 

Toledo,  68,  177 

Truxillo,  217,  224 

Tubanama,  25 

Tumaco,  26 

Tumtaez,  bay,  36,  54,  55,  60,61,  62, 

63,  70,  71,  73-78,  81,  82,  85,  89, 

126 


Tumbez,  Bishop  of,  70 

Uma,  Villac,  216,  218,  220 
Urcos,  230 

Valverde,  Fray  Vincente  de,  128, 
131,  137,  149,  185,  190,  191,  193, 
254,  259 

Valdivia,  Pedro  de,  250 

Vasco  Nunez  de  Balboa,  iS,  19,25,26 

Vega,  de  la,  26,  144 

Vego,  Garcilasso  de  la,  128 

Velasquez,  Judge,  263 

Villac,  Uma,  216,  218,  220 

Xauxa,  196,  201,  225,  232,  234,  253, 

254,  259,  260 
Xerez,  167 

Zaran,  100,  116 
Zerez,  Don,  151 


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